Final Fantasy IX The Scourge Of Reality
by MAYFLY01
Summary: When Zidane wakes up in the Iifa Tree, he finds out that Gaia has a dangerous visitor. It's a case of life or death in this sequel to FF9 that ties up a few loose ends. Thrilling fic with a new plot, a few twists and new characters. ZxD.
1. Prologue & Chapter 1

Prologue

Some time had passed since Zidane Tribal, Garnet Til Alexandros, Adelbert Steiner, Vivi Orunitier, Eiko Carol, Freya Crescent, Amarant Coral and Quina Quen banded together and stopped the genome Kuja, Zidane's brother. After his ultimate defeat, Zidane and his companions were faced with a new threat, Necron, the eternal darkness. Necron's sole purpose was to return everything to the zero world where no form of life could be sustained. However, after listening to Zidane's words on life, Necron wanted to test his beliefs and engaged him and three of his friends in a final battle. After a long and brutal fight, Zidane and his friends prevailed over Necron and were saved by the reformed Kuja. After learning of his brother's survival, Zidane separated from Garnet, the woman of his dreams, to rescue his dying sibling.

Upon locating Kuja within the core of the Iifa Tree, Zidane was presumed dead by the four great nations, Alexandria, Lindblum, Cleyra and Burmecia, when he never returned. Although he didn't come back to be with Garnet, his rumoured death was far from the truth. Instead, Zidane was in a coma inside the Iifa Tree. In the period of time that he missed, the world changed without Zidane around. All four nations had been rebuilt to their former glory and Cleyra once again sat atop a tree and the sandstorm had been restored. Peace still didn't regin over the kingdoms however, although the war was over, there was still small grudge that prevented the four nations from flourishing together, but no violent actions were taking place between them anymore.

Heartbroken, Zidanes friends had moved on and each found a new purpose in life: Freya and her lover Sir Fratley married and became the King of Burmecia's personal guards. Amarant continued his travels around the world as a wanted man, this time with a bigger heart and an understanding of what it's like to have friends though he still maintained his hard exterior. Quina became Alexandria's master chef, cooking for Garnet herself. Steiner retained his position as Garnet's bodyguard along with his partner and lover, Beatrix. Eiko was adopted by Regent Cid and Lady Hilda of Lindblum, thus fulfilling her desire to be a princess like Garnet was. Vivi lived with his fellow black mages and genome counterparts, even having several children and forming a caring relationship with young genome Mikoto in the Black Mage Village. Garnet was officially crowned Queen of Alexandria and lead the people to live more calming lives by putting everyone back to work and repairing the damage that her greedy adoptive mother caused. All their lives had changed for the best and they finally lead the peaceful existences that they all desired, still meeting each other on occasion for a happy reunion.

The same could not be said, however, for Zidane. Our story begins when he awakens from his long sleep inside the Iifa Tree and eventually finds himself faced with a new danger, that he must face alone, when he discovers that 'someone' is inhabiting Gaia who _wasn't_ there before.....

FINAL FANTASY IX FANFIC

THE SCOURGE OF REALITY

Chapter 1 

Our Hero Awakens

Deep inside the silent Iifa Tree, Zidane started to open his eyes, slowly. He was dazed from being unconscious for so long. He tried to get up but was stopped by the thick braches of the Iifa Tree. After he fully came to his senses, he managed to move a couple of branches to free himself. After he caught his breath, he suddenly realised something _"KUJA!"_ He struggled through the branches and searched for his brother.

After a 15 minute search, there was no sign of Kuja. "What happened to him?" he said to himself. Zidane looked up and spotted a glimmer of light shining down from above. He picked himself up and headed for the exit.

When he got to the surface, he took in a full gulp of fresh air. _"How long have I been out?" _he thought "Wait a minute! How am I even alive?!" he questioned himself, before realising how hungry he was. "Man, I gotta eat something. Conde Petie isn't far, maybe the dwarves have something." He started to hike towards the mountains.

He found it unusual that no monsters appeared and attacked him, there was no sign of any life at all. He continued his journey until he reached Conde Petie Mountain Path and soon after Conde Petie itself. The entrance however was shrouded in large vines that looked like the Iifa Tree spawned them. "Hey! Is anyone in there!?" Zidane called; there was a deathly silence, "Rally Ho!" he called again, still nothing. "Wow, they usually go crazy for that stuff." He said. Zidane approached the vines and cut the down with his dagger quite easily. "I guess now that the Iifa Tree is dead, all its roots and vines are as well" he exclaimed.

He entered the village and entered the item shop to find it completely trashed. "What happened here?" Zidane wondered. There were no dwarves in sight, but their clothes were all over the floor, on the steps and out on the porch. All the food was gone as well. "Man, what a letdown. I guess they lived off it for as long as they could before they ran out. There sure was a lot of food last time I was here, more than enough for the entire village. But then again, I might have been out for a really long time. I don't see how only their clothes are left though." Zidane pondered.

He searched round the village looking for any survivors. "Hello!? Hello! Anybody here?!" he called out. Zidane sighed, "I guess it's deserted. They were all so nice as well. It's a darn shame." He said to himself and headed for the door. When he got there, he saw that the vines that would have been hanging over the entrance had been cut. "Now that is weird. How could they have died in here when the front door was open?" he wondered. Zidane inspected the vines, "They were cut recently, maybe a couple of days ago. Maybe someone came here to check on them, but their bodies were already decomposed." He said to himself.

He went back the Mountain Path and started to walk down to the Northern part of the continent. He suddenly had a flash back of when he, Vivi, Dagger and Quina first came to Conde Petie. _"Dagger..."_ He thought. The young Genome picked himself up having found his motivation. "I will come back to you Dagger; I won't give up until I see you again."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Return To Madain Sari

"Hey, Madain Sari isn't far. If Eiko is there, I'm sure she'll be more than happy to cook me something good." Zidane thought to himself as he headed for Madain Sari. Along the way he was still confused "Where are all the monsters? I know that the mist is gone and everything, but there were monsters here before the mist blanketed the Outer Continent." He pondered. Eventually, he reached Madain Sari. "Still hasn't changed, it's still a pile of rubble." He said "Hey! Are you here Eiko!" he called out. There was a short pause. "Kupo?" said a voice to his right, Zidane looked to see a moogle hiding behind a large stone "Hey there little guy." Zidane said. The moogle looked at him "Kupo! It's you, Kupo! You are Lady Eiko's friend!" said the moogle with joy, "Yeah it's me, Zidane. And what was your name?" he asked him. "It's Chimomo." The moogle answered.

"Ok then, Chimomo. Where are the others?" Zidane asked, Chimomo lowered his head and sniffed ".... I see." Zidane said, "So you're the only one left?" he asked, Chimomo raised his head "That's right, kupo. When the Iifa Tree went on a rampage after you beat Kuja, the roots created an earthquake. I was the only one who made it out in time..." he reminisced. "You've been on your own out here ever since? How long ago was that? A day? Week?" said Zidane "What? No. It's been like this for a whole year now." Explained Chimomo. Zidane gasped, "What?! You mean I've been out cold in the Iifa Tree's Core for a year!?" Zidane said, shocked by the news. "You were in the Iifa Tree all this time? I'm amazed that your still here." He said "Yeah so am I actually. What have I missed? Can you fill me in!?" Zidane asked, "Sorry, but I have no idea what's been going on outside." Answered Chimomo.

"Ok then, we'll just have to find out for ourselves." Zidane said, Chimomo looked concerned, "Erm, what are you getting at, kupo?" he asked Zidane. "I mean that me and you are gonna get out of here and get back to the Mist Continent!" he answered. "That's great, kupo. Any ideas on how we would do that?" he asked. "There's that boat in the harbour, we can use that to get back to the world." Zidane answered. "That boat is old, it will never get us there, kupo. It would be torn to shreds!" warned Chimomo. "Well, we'll have to spruce it up a little. Modify it and make it stronger. I know we can do it! If we succeed, I'll take you to where ever Eiko is." He told the moogle. Chimomo leaped and squeaked with joy, "Yay! I can go and see Lady Eiko!" Zidane chuckled, "You bet! There's just one thing I want to ask you." Said Zidane, "Yes, kupo?" pondered Chimomo. "Can we get something to eat? I'm famished!" exclaimed Zidane.

"Yes, of course kupo. I bet you're starving, having nothing to eat for a year, kupo." Said Chimomo. He led Zidane into the dining room and sat him down at the table. "I'm afraid it has to be fish, kupo. There isn't much else around here." Said Chimomo. Zidane smiled, "That'll be great, thanks Chimomo." He said in an upbeat manner. Chimomo's face lit up, "Great, kupo. Will potatoes be ok with it?" he asked. Zidane licked his lips, "Oh yeah! That'll be mighty fine! Do you need a hand with it?" asked Zidane. "It's fine, kupo. I can handle it." Answered the moogle, and he went out to the kitchen.

Zidane waited for his meal, all the time he was day dreaming about Dagger and wondering what she has done during the year without him. _"Man, it's been so long. I wonder if she has missed me."_ He thought. Chimomo came through the door carrying a large pot with steam spewing from the top and he placed it on the table. "It's ready, kupo." Zidane snapped out of his thoughts and saw the pot on the table. He peered inside and sniffed what was inside. He'd forgotten how good fish could smell. "Wow, it smells amazing, Chimomo!" complimented Zidane. Chimomo blushed slightly, "Thank you, kupo."

Zidane dumped a load onto his plate followed by half a dozen potatoes. He noticed that Chimomo didn't get anything, "You not having any?" he asked. "I just ate, kupo. Have it all." He answered, "If you insist." Said Zidane right before he stuffed his face with all the food. Chimomo just sat and watched him eat every ounce of fish and potatoes, _"Wow, he sure can eat a lot, kupo..."_ he thought to himself. After a few more minutes, Zidane fell back into his chair revealing that his stomach had developed into a small mound, "Man! I sure was hungry!" he exclaimed. Chimomo's eyes were wide open, "N-No kidding, k-kupo..." said Chimomo in awe.

Zidane yawned, "Well, after a meal like that, I think I'm gonna hit the sack." He claimed. Chimomo started to hover, "I'll show you where you can sleep, kupo." Thus he led Zidane to Eiko's old bedroom which was hidden behind the rocks that were next to the fountain. Zidane peered inside and found a bed, "Looks inviting." He said. "I'll see you in the morning, kupo." Said Chimomo before flying away. Zidane entered the little room and fell onto the bed. _"It's comfier than it looks." _He thought. It wasn't long before the was fast asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Preparing The Boat

The next morning, Zidane woke up and walked outside to get some fresh air. The sun shone brightly over Madain Sari and its rays warmed Zidane to the bone. He looked around and walked to the kitchen. "Chimomo? Hey Chimomo!" he called, "I'm down here, kupo!" Chimomo called back. His voice came from the harbour. Zidane rushed below and found the little moogle inspecting the boat that was down there.

"What are you doing?" Zidane asked, "Kupo. I'm seeing which parts of the boat need improving, kupo." He answered. Zidane thought for a moment, "Good idea. We'll need to make the parts we need though. Is there any spare material we can use?" he asked Chimomo. "We should do. Under the raised platform in the kitchen, kupo." Answered Chimomo. Zidane we back up the stairs and checked underneath the platform and pulled out a pile of unused wood, "_This'll do nicely."_ He thought. He raced back down with some of the wood under his arm.

"Here. Will this do?" he asked the moogle. Chimomo turned around to face him, and then looked at the wood he had collected. "That's great, kupo!" said Chimomo in an upbeat manner. "Yeah, all we have to do now is use this wood, and the wood that's upstairs, to improve the boat and make it stronger. It won't be easy making it back to Alexandria through the choppy waves." Zidane explained. "Let's get to work, kupo!" Chimomo declared.

Zidane and Chimomo worked on strengthening the boat for one straight week, day and night, sunny or grim. Resting for only a few hours a night. Sometimes things went brilliantly. At other times, their efforts had completely fallen apart. They also became quite good friends during the process. After a week had passed, the boat was finally ready to set sail for Alexandria.

"Well, that's it, Chimomo. We've done all we can to improve the boat. And I'm sure it's enough, if not, more so." Said Zidane. "That's good to here, kupo." Chimomo responded, "When do we leave?" he added. "Not yet. We've prepared the boat, now we need to prepare ourselves. Sailing round the world isn't easy you know." Zidane answered, "Get plenty of sleep and food in your belly. It'll be a long trip." He added. "Ok, kupo." Said Chimomo, then they both headed to bed. Chimomo suddenly stopped, "Kupopo! I almost forgot, kupo!" Zidane rushed back, "What is it!?" he asked. "Before we set sail, I need to show you something, kupo." He told Zidane. "Why don't you show me now?" Zidane asked. "Not now, kupo. It's outside the village, and it's too late to go out now, kupo." Explained Chimomo. "Ok then, show me tomorrow." Said Zidane. And they both went to bed.

The next morning, Zidane woke up earlier than the sun. "Today's the day we set sail!" he said to himself. _"Wow. I'm finally going to see Dagger again... I'm kinda nervous."_ He thought. He got out of bed and went to wake up Chimomo, who was sleeping in the kitchen. "Wake up little guy. Today's the day." He said. Chimomo's eyes slowly opened, "I don't think that even the worms are up yet, kupo." Chimomo murmured. Zidane laughed, "Come on, no excuses, today we leave for Alexandria!" he said.

Chimomo suddenly perked up, "Yay! Finally, our hard work pays off, kupo!" he cheered. "That's the spirit! C'mon, we've gotta be out of here in two hours." Zidane told him. The moogle jumped up, "Oh! Oh! Kupopo! I almost forgot, kupo!" he said in a shocked manner. "Is something wrong?" asked Zidane. Chimomo looked up at him, "I still need to show you something, kupo!" he explained. Zidane suddenly remembered, "That's right. You did say you wanted to show me something." He claimed. "Follow me, kupo." Ordered Chimomo, urgently. And he followed him outside the village.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Unwelcome Discovery

Zidane and Chimomo left Madain Sari and headed east, towards the woods. As they passed over the plains and forests, Zidane noticed something odd. "Hey, Chimomo?" he asked, "What is it, kupo?" Chimomo replied. "Where are all the monsters? I haven't seen one since before I woke up." He pondered. Chimomo stopped and thought for a second before carrying on, "I don't know either. There hasn't been any for months, kupo. But as far as we're concerned, that is a good thing, kupo." The moogle explained. Zidane smiled a little, "I suppose your right, were not being held back, are we." He responded. They kept heading east in a straight line. "So what is it that you want to show me, Chimomo?" Zidane asked, "Well, I don't know what it is exactly, kupo. I want you to have a look at it and see if you know what it is or where it came from. Were almost there, kupo" Chimomo answered.

They kept going for a few more miles, stopping to rest every now and again before they got to the edge of the island. Zidane looked down from the cliff and saw the sea, violently striking the side of the island. "This is what you wanted to show me? It's sea! You should know that!" said Zidane, he looked up and saw Chimomo facing south. "No, not that, kupo. It's over there" said Chimomo, pointing in the direction he was facing. Zidane looked and saw something that looked like a hole, but it was about half a mile away. "What the... That wasn't there before. I'm sure of that." He wondered. "C'mon, Chimomo. Let's go and have a look." He added, "Ok, kupo" Chimomo agreed, and they went to the strange land mark ahead.

After a short run, they arrived and Zidane gasped at the sight. "Whoa.... Now that DEFINATLY wasn't there before!" he said in awe. They gazed down inside a large crater that went deep into the ground. In the middle of the crater was a large stone that had a large hole on the side of it. Zidane's mouth was gaping open with amazement and a portion of fear was in his eyes. "How did this get here..." said Zidane, after a few seconds, Chimomo said "I don't know, kupo. I'm not even sure how long it has been here. I haven't been down to have a look, kupo. I'm scared." Chimomo explained. "Hang on then, I'm gonna go and have a look." Zidane said, "I-I'll come with you, k-kupo." Said Chimomo, quivering with fear. "It doesn't _look_ scary. It just looks like a regular rock from up here. So where did the goddamn crater come from?" Zidane wondered.

He hopped down from the ledge and slowly made his way down the crater and towards the stone, Chimomo quietly followed him. When he reached the stone, he inspected it for five minutes. "What do you think, kupo?" Chimomo asked. Zidane scratched his head, "Well, I'm guessing that it's a meteorite. Because it has loads of burn marks on it, plus the black crumbly bits." He explained. Zidane then noticed at the corner of his eye a set of tracks in the gravel at the opposite side of the crater. "_What the... How did they get there?"_ he thought. Chimomo came up behind him, "I saw those too, kupo. It looks like someone came and had a look at it before us." Said Chimomo. Zidane looked concerned, "I doubt that, Chimomo." He replied. "Why is that, kupo?" Chimomo asked. "Because there's only one set of tracks over there, and they lead out of the crater." Zidane said. "Huh? How can that be, kupo?" Chimomo asked, Zidane thought for a moment, "There's only one explanation that I can think of, Chimomo." He said and he looked at the hole that was in the meteorite. "Someone, or something, came out of there..." he claimed.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

More Discoveries

Zidane and Chimomo stood next to the meteorite, puzzled and concerned. "You're saying, kupo, that something came out of this meteorite and left the crater, kupo?" asked Chimomo. Zidane scratched his head, "It's highly possible, Chimomo. I don't know _what's_ going on right now, I've only just come back." He answered, he then look back at the tracks. "I know, kupo!" said Chimomo. Zidane turned to him, "You know what?" he asked, Chimomo hovered forward, "You stay here, and see if you can find anything, kupo. In the meantime, I'll go and follow those tracks." Chimomo suggested. Zidane quickly objected, "Oh no! I don't think so, it could be dangerous. I don't want you to go anywhere on your own!" he ordered, Chimomo chuckled, "It's ok, kupo. I won't go far; the chances are that if something _did_ come out of there, it would be miles away by now." Said Chimomo, trying to calm Zidane down. Zidane thought for moment, "Well, alright then." He said reluctantly, "But I don't want you going far, do you hear me!?" he demanded. "Yes, kupo. Be back soon." He said cheerfully and he followed the tracks out of the crater.

Zidane, still concerned about Chimomo, continued inspecting the meteorite. He climbed up to the top of it, looked all around it, he even managed to see underneath it a little. He then checked out the hole that was in the side of it. He leaned inside and unknowingly stuck his hand in 'something' wet. "What the-?" he said, startled. Zidane looked down and saw his hand covered in a red, gel-like liquid. He lifted his hand and smelt the substance, and it gave off a foul stench. Zidane gipped, "Oh gross! Reminds me of Superslick!" he said. He looked down and saw a small pool of the red liquid at the bottom of the meteorite. He raised one eye brow, _"What the heck is this stuff?"_ he thought. Before he could inspect any more, he heard a voice in the back ground: "ZIDANE! COME HERE QUICK, KUPO!" Zidane looked around, instantly recognising the voice as Chimomo's. "CHIMOMO! WHERE ARE YOU!" he called back. "I'M UP HERE, KUPO!" he heard him shout. Zidane sprinted in the direction of Chimomo's voice. "I'M COMING CHIMOMO! DON'T MOVE!" he cried. He quickly climbed the side of the crater and jumped back onto the ground level, and a few feet away was Chimomo sat next to 'something' white.

Zidane looked puzzled; Chimomo appeared to be in no danger at all."[Sigh] What a relief." He said to himself as he calmed down. He suddenly glanced at what Chimomo was looking at. "What's that Chimomo?" Zidane asked. Chimomo didn't move. Zidane started to look concerned and he walked up to him a knelt down. "Chimomo, what's wrong?" he said again, nudging him this time. Chimomo quickly leaped into Zidane's arms. He was shivering with fear. "Chimomo?" He said. Chimomo started to speak, "W-W-What is t-t-that, k-kupo?" he said slowly. Zidane looked at what Chimomo was scared of and saw that it wasn't white at all; it was something covered in a white liquid. He walked up to it to have a look at it. "Huh? What is that?" he said. After inspecting it for a few seconds, his eyes widened and he gasped with horror.

"Oh, good god! Who or what could have done this!?" he said. Chimomo squealed. On the ground was the head, right arm and part of the chest of a man, who was covered in a white, sticky substance. "His left arm, stomach and legs are missing! What happened to him!?" questioned Zidane. Panic started to appear in his face. "D-Do you think it was w-what came out of there, k-kupo?" suggested Chimomo, hardly able to speak with the overwhelming fear he felt. "KUPO! We need to get out of here kupo!" screamed Chimomo. Zidane grabbed him, "CHIMOMO! Listen Chimomo, calm down. Just take it easy, ok? Don't let your fear get the better get you. Now let's just think, we have no idea what happened here, or where the killer is. I think that the best thing we can do is to go to Alexandria and inform Dagger about it. Alright?" Zidane explained. Chimomo slowly started to relax a little, "...... Ok, kupo." He said softly.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The Fallen

Zidane and Chimomo stood over the corpse of the mutilated stranger in silence. "I wonder what happened to him, kupo. I wonder who he was as well, kupo." Said Chimomo. Zidane shook his head, "That's no way for anyone to die..." he said. He turned to Chimomo, "C'mon, help me out. The least we can do is give him a proper burial." He added. Chimomo nodded. Zidane pulled his dagger from its sheath and started to dig a hole in the ground. Chimomo inspected the dead body, especially the white substance he was covered in. "Hey Zidane." He said, interrupting his digging. Zidane stopped and looked at him, "What is it, Chimomo?" he answered. Chimomo pointed ant the body, "What's all this white stuff?" he asked him. Zidane leaned over to see. He got up and walked over to the corpse.

"Hmmm. I'm not sure." He said, puzzled. He put his hand in it and smelt it. "Well, kupo?" asked Chimomo. "Well, I can't be sure, but I'd say that it's similar to spit, saliva." He answered. Chimomo raised an eye brow, "Spit?" he repeated. "Yeah, spit." Answered Zidane. Chimomo looked at the body, "How did he get covered in spit, kupo?" he wondered. Zidane interrupted, "I said it was _similar_ to spit. But even so, how did he get covered in it." They both looked at each other. "Well, anyway. Let me finish this hole, alright little buddy?" said Zidane, changing the subject. "Ok, kupo." Said Chimomo.

Zidane dug the hole, nice and deep, and Chimomo helped him lower the body into it. Then, they both filled the hole up again and had a few minutes silence to honour the deceased man. After the time had passed, Zidane broke the silence, "C'mon, Chimomo. Let's get going to Alexandria." He said. Chimomo looked up at him, "Yeah, let's go, kupo." He agreed. They then headed back to Madain Sari, as they passed the crater, Zidane had a light gut feeling when he looked at the meteorite. After a quick glance, he looked at Chimomo with a concerned look on his face. Chimomo soon looked back, "Is something wrong, kupo?" he asked. Zidane suddenly came to his senses, "Huh? N-No, no." He said, smiling afterwards, "Everything's fine." He added.

Along the way, they still both noticed that no monsters had appeared or tried to ambush them. They were suddenly halted when Chimomo spotted something among a cluster of rocks, "What's that, kupo?" he said. Zidane and Chimomo jogged towards it and when they were close enough, they both knew what it was. "That's weird..." Zidane wondered. In front of them was the shield, spear, hooves and clothing of a troll on the ground. "How can a troll's attire be all the way out here, when there isn't a trace of a single troll nearby?" Zidane asked himself. "I don't know either, kupo. I haven't seen _any_ type of monster out here for months, never mind just the troll's, kupo." Explained Chimomo. They both stood still for a moment. "Well, anyway. C'mon, we have to get to Alexandria, Chimomo. Let's go." Stated Zidane. Chimomo looked at him and nodded, and then they carried on to Madain Sari.

When they arrived, they went straight to the harbour. "So, have we got everything?" asked Zidane. "Yep. Everything, kupo." Answered Chimomo. "Alright then. Just need to check the boat once more, then we can go!" cried Zidane in relief. "KUPOPO!" cried Chimomo with a huge grin on his face. Zidane then suddenly noticed that his dagger was missing. "Hey, where's my dagger?" he wondered. Chimomo looked around, "Don't you have it, kupo?" he asked Zidane. "No, I don't have it." Answered Zidane. In an instant, Zidane remembered, "I know where it is! Darn it! I left it at the crater, where we buried that guy." He reminisced. "Just hang on, I'll go and get it." He added. Just as Zidane stood up to leave, Chimomo hopped in front of him. "Wait Zidane! You stay here; I'll go and get your dagger, kupo." He said to him. "Don't be silly, it's my dagger, it's my responsibility. Besides, we don't know what's out there." Explained Zidane. Chimomo chuckled, "There's nothing out there, kupo. We were gone for a couple of hours at least and we didn't see a single monster, kupo. Plus, I feel as though you have done all the work, the least I can do is go and get your dagger, kupo." Chimomo said, confidently. Zidane thought for a few moments. "Hmmm, I don't know, I mean you're only a kid, what if you get lost?" Zidane asked. Chimomo laughed, "Don't worry, kupo. I know this island like the back of my hand." He said while he was going out the door. Once again, Zidane reluctantly agreed. "Well, ok then. But you had better be careful out there on your own!" he warned Chimomo. Chimomo turned back and smiled, "You're worrying about nothing, kupo. I was alone out here for almost a year, remember?" said Chimomo, "See you later, I'll be back soon." He added. Chimomo then left the village.

Zidane, still a little concerned, sat at the dining table upstairs. "Well, he'll not be back for a while. I guess I'll have a little nap." He said to himself. He rested his feet on the table and closed his eyes.

Later on, Zidane woke up from his snooze with a yawn. He got up and scratched his back. He then had a little look around for Chimomo. "Hey Chimomo!" he cried. There was no answer. "Hm, I guess he's not back yet." He said. Zidane went downstairs and did the final check on the boat. It took him a good hour for a full sweep of it. By the time he had finished, Chimomo still hadn't arrived. _"That's odd, he should have been back by now."_ He thought. He went back upstairs to the entrance of Madain Sari. There was no sign of Chimomo. "I'll wait here for him. It's quite a long way, maybe he stopped for a rest." He said.

Minutes passed, and those minutes transformed into hours. Zidane sat on the rock and he started to wander in his thoughts. He reminisced about his brothers in Tantalus: Marcus, Blank, Cinna, Baku, Ruby, Benero and Zenero. _"I bet those guys haven't changed, ha ha."_ He thought. His mind wandered on as he remembered Vivi, Steiner, Freya, Amarant, Eiko, Beatrix and Quina. _"I wonder how they're all doing. A year sure can be a long time."_ He thought. Zidane then started to think about Cid and Hilda. _"I bet they've rebuilt Lindblum by now. Bigger and better than ever, Cid always was a genius when it comes to improving things."_ He thought. His mind wandered again and began to remember Kuja. _"What happened to you, Kuja? You weren't there in the Iifa Tree. Are you dead or alive? Where are you, brother?"_ He thought. After that, Dagger appeared in his mind. _"Dagger... I hope you're all comfy cosy in your castle. I know that you're a great queen; you're the most amazing woman I know! I..... I love you Dagger....."_ he thought. All of sudden, his mind went blank and he heard an echoing voice in his head cry out: "ZIDANE!" He then thought of Chimomo, he recognised the voice as his. Then the voice cried out again, this time it sounded like he was in pain.

Zidane woke up immediately. "CHIMOMO!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. It was dusk, and he looked around. "Oh no! He hasn't come back yet!" he said in a panic. Zidane took off from the village and sprinted as fast as he could to the east, where the crater is. He was running so fast the he left a huge cloud of dust behind him. "Hang on Chimomo! I'm coming!" he shouted. In no time at all, he reached his destination. He went into the crater and looked around the meteorite. "Chimomo! CHIMOMO! C'mon out, buddy! Where are you!" he cried out. There was no answer. He quickly climbed out of the crater had headed towards the grave of the body they found. He jumped over the rocks and arrived at the grave. The sight he saw made Zidane scream like he never screamed before.

The grave had been dug up, revealing the dead body and on the ground next to it was Chimomo, not making a sound, moving or breathing. "Chimomo!" Zidane cried out. He rushed over to his friend and held his head up. Chimomo's face was emotionless, with his eyes wide open and white pupils. "Chimomo?.... Chimomo say something! ANYTHING!" Zidane shouted. Chimomo remained motionless. Zidane checked his pulse. He gasped with horror and a tear rolled down his cheek. "..... H-He's gone..... He's gone!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A New Threat

Zidane held Chimomo in his arms, not making a sound. Chimomo lay there, motionless and silent. He wasn't breathing. Zidane started to quiver and a tear dripped from his chin onto Chimomo's chest. "..... No..... poor Chimomo.... You didn't deserve this! It should have been me!" he yelled. He held Chimomo up to his head to pay his respects. After that, he quietly dug him a grave and buried him under the ground. He even carved out the words "HERE LIES CHIMOMO A ONE-OF-A-KIND LITTLE MOOGLE HE WILL BE FOREVER MISSED" onto a large stone and firmly placed it on the ground.

Zidane took a few minutes to remember the times he shared with Chimomo. "_No matter what, Chimomo. I'll never forget you.... You were my friend. As far as I know, you could have been my only friend."_ He thought to himself. Zidane suddenly clenched his fists and started to breath heavily. He suddenly turned around, "And I'm gonna get you! Do you hear me!? I don't care who you are, but I will avenge my friend's death!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "No matter what the cost...." he said in a much quieter tone. At the corner of his eye, Zidane spotted, faint but definite footprints in the sand. He suddenly rushed in the direction that they were heading, towards Conde Petie.

Zidane sprinted as fast as he could in an attempt to locate and dispatch Chimomo's killer. As he ran, tears poured from his eyes, "It should never have happened! Not to him! This is your fault, Zidane! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" he shouted to himself. Soon enough, he reached Conde Petie. He searched around inside and discovered that it was in the same tip as it was last time, with no dwarves in sight. He kept a wide eye in all directions. _"Now, keep your cool, Zidane. Not only do I not know what this guy looks like, but I don't know what he is capable of."_ he thought. He inspected the Ceremonial Chamber and still found no signs of life. As he looked around, he noticed the Kirkboat in the centre of the room. "Man, it seems so long ago now. It was right on that Kirkboat that me and Dagger got married." He reminisced and chuckled at the same time before getting back to his search. "Is anyone in here!?" he called. There was no reply. "If that one that killed Chimomo is in here, show yourself now!" he called again, still with no answer.

Zidane looked around the rest of the village and still found no trace of anything. He eventually decided to move on and headed for the entrance. When he got outside he scouted the plains ahead of him and spotted Qu's Marsh to the north-west of where he was facing. Zidane also noticed that at the bottom of the Iifa Tree root that Conde Petie was balancing on, the footprints were there yet again. This time, they were heading in the direction of the marsh. "Grrr, I'll never catch him at this rate. He always seems to be one step ahead of me! Wait, maybe it's not too late. Maybe he's still down there! I've got to hurry!" he said to himself.

He raced towards Qu's Marsh. On the way, he still noticed the same occurrence that was over at the Iifa Tree and Madain Sari. _"It's the same over here. There are no monsters around. What's happened to them all? I know that the mist is all gone, but what about all the native creatures? I always had a nose for trouble, and this place reeks, there's something going on. But what?" _He thought. It was the same on the boarders of Qu's Marsh, no monsters jumped him. He entered the marsh and crossed the bridge over the swamp water. When he got to the other end, he stopped. _"This is it.... I'm getting a gut feeling telling me that I'm not alone here. There's someone, or something here with me, and I bet its Chimomo's murderer!" _he thought."I'd better stay quiet. I don't know what I'm up against here; it could be more dangerous than I think. Expect the worst, Zidane." He whispered.

He crept through the marsh silently, looking in all directions at all times, weary of his surroundings. He carefully planned every step he took to make sure that he didn't give away his whereabouts or his presence. Meanwhile, somewhere else in the marsh, Zidane's theory proved to be true when a cluster of plants became shrouded by a shadow that didn't belong to Zidane.

Zidane emerged from the tall grass and found himself at the frog pond. There wasn't a single frog anywhere. He tip toed his way round the pond and headed towards the long grass on the opposite side. Suddenly, Zidane heard something shuffle in the grass next to him. He became as still as a statue and listened some more. The grass moved again. Slowly, Zidane turned around to face where the sound was coming from and quietly drew his dagger from its sheath. "C'mon out, you bastard! C'mon out, I'm waiting for you...." he whispered. At that moment, a frog appeared out of the grass and croaked at him. Zidane smiled and sighed with relief. He helped the frog along to the pond and stood to see what it did. As he was watching the little amphibian, 'someone' appeared behind him. Zidane immediately sensed the presence of another person behind him, but didn't turn around straight away. He tightly gripped his dagger and built up his confidence. _"Alright, Zidane. This could be the guy standing right behind you! He hasn't done anything yet, as far as I know, he's just standing there. I have no idea how strong he is, but there's only one way to find out!"_ he thought.

Zidane turned around to see who the mystery man was. In front of him was a young man, just a few years only than he was. He had short, black hair, luminous brown eyes that gave an eerie stare and an emotionless face. He wore a black vest-top over a navy collared shirt with white cheques. He was wearing torn blue jeans and white sports trainers. He was about a foot taller than Zidane was, and in his left hand, he was dragging a wounded, unconscious Sahagin behind him. He had is fingers hooked over the top edge of its shell.

Zidane stared into the stranger's eyes, and he stared right back at him. Zidane pondered his thoughts and wondered, "_That face..... I have no idea who this guy is, but his face seems familiar. Where have I seen him before..."_ he thought. The stranger started to grin a little at him. Zidane suddenly recognised him, "What!? B-But how? How can you be standing here right now!? I know where I've seen you, but that's impossible!" Zidane cried at him. "How can this be!? Y-You're the guy that.... that.... You're that dead guy that me and Chimomo found, maimed, outside the crater!" He added. Zidane started to shiver with fear, while the stranger gave him a sinister smile....


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Stolen Powers

Zidane stood, defensively, on the spot in Qu's Marsh, staring cautiously at the mysterious youth in front of him. The youth remained motionless, not even twitching, with the eerie half grin half sneer playing on his lips. The breeze brushed through their hair and waved their clothes as if they were paper. Zidane held his grip on his dagger, never taking his eyes off the stranger. His sharp eye's looked carefully as any movement he made would be analysed and he would instantly think of a defence. _"I don't get it. How can he be right in front of me when I saw him dead earlier? It just doesn't make sense!"_ Zidane thought.

As their stalemate continued, the Sahagin that the youth had a hold of started to come to. It slowly raised its head as its eyes stared to open. Dazed, the creature looked around and stared at Zidane for a few seconds before looking up at the stranger, who was still mimicking a statue. The Sahagins vision quickly became clear and started to squeal in fear. It fruitlessly tried to escape his grasp, but was too weak from its injuries. It then turned to Zidane; it grunted and squealed at him, like it was crying out for help. Zidane looked into the creatures eyes, its fear was clear. _"That Sahagin is terrified of him. Something isn't right about this guy. The minute I saw him, I knew that something was wrong, and this proves it. Even standing here now, looking at him, something about him turns my stomach!"_ he thought. Zidane then took pity on the Sahagin, "There's no point hanging onto that creature, you've made your point. Put it down." Zidane ordered. Nothing happened for a few moments. Suddenly, the stranger released his grip and freed the Sahagin, silently. Still terrified of the anonymous character, the Sahagin attempted to crawl towards Zidane for cover, though it still suffered from its injuries. Zidane was just about the crouch down to help the creature when the stranger raised his right hand and pointed his fingers at the Sahagin.

Zidane raised an eye brow, _"What's he doing?"_ he thought. The Sahagin turned to see what he was doing. When it saw the youth's fingers pointing in its direction, it cried out even louder and it sounded more scared than ever. It desperately tried to crawl away in a panic. Zidane started to look concerned. His eyes then widened, "What in the name of..." he began. As Zidane spoke, the stranger's fingers had turned blue and started to wobble like hot jelly. The Sahagins voice increased in volume again as it clawed at the ground, frightened to death by what was happening. Then, almost instantly, the youth's fingers stretched out at an incredible speed straight at the Sahagin. So fast that the naked eye could hardly keep track of it. His fingertips, which now seemed like tentacles, opened up to form what looked like a hand with dozens of fingers. The hand grabbed the Sahagin, which was screaming out in terror. It was shorter than seconds before the strange goo-like substance that the youth's fingers morphed into completely engulfed the Sahagin. Then, in another instant, the tentacles retracted and became normal fingers once again. Zidane stood in awe as to what he just saw and how fast it had happened. All that remained of the Sahagin was its shell.

Zidane started to shiver, partly because of fear and also because of anxiety. He was unable to utter a single syllable. "Now that we've got that vermin out of the way..." said the youth in a sinister voice. The genome quickly looked up after just discovering that the unknown person _can_ talk. ".... You're next, Zidane." The stranger continued and finished. Zidane gasped and froze with further dread, "_H-How does he know my name!?"_ Zidane thought. The stranger grinned before taking an offensive position, as though he was preparing for battle. "Uh-oh." Zidane muttered. In the blink of an eye, the stranger charged at him, full speed. Zidane leaped backwards. The youth then threw his fist at him. Zidane quickly drew his daggers and blocked his punch, though the force of it knocked him backwards, leaving him vulnerable. The mystery man pulled his arm back and launched it at Zidane's stomach. When it hit and buried itself in his gut, Zidane's eyes almost popped out of his head as the blow winded him. The youth then followed it up by raising his right leg and kicking him in the side of the face, sending Zidane flying. Before landing, Zidane came to his senses and recovered, landing on his feet. However, the surprise attack and power of this foe was extreme, even for him. "Whoa! This guy sure packs a wallop!" he said with his hand over his stomach. Suddenly, Zidane looked up to see the mystery man coming at him again.

He used his initiative and leaped into the air to dodge his attack. The youth countered this, however, by jumping up, grabbing Zidane's tail and swinging him round by it. Zidane yelped as soon as he gripped his tail tightly, and the youth chuckled while he swung him round and round in circles. After swinging Zidane round countless times, the stranger launched him into the air, and soon after, he came crashing back down to the ground. Shortly after, Zidane hit the ground with a loud 'thud' and rolled across the floor. "Ha ha! Bop goes the weasel!" the youth joked. Zidane struggled to his feet, refusing to surrender. "Man, this guy sure is a lot to handle! His punches are so strong! He's pretty tough, even for a dead guy!" said Zidane. "Ok. How about another round, Zidane?" said the stranger. Zidane grinded his teeth together, "You keep using that name like you know me!" he shouted. The youth grinned. "How do you know my name?" Zidane continued. "Oh, I know a lot more than _that_, Tribal!" he replied. "But how!? How do you know about me? We've never even met before. And how are you even here when I saw your dead body!? Tell me!"Ordered Zidane, demanding an answer. The mystery man grinned again, "Ahh, Zidane. Curious as ever. Too bad, my secrets won't be unlocked so easily." He said calmly.

After a few moments, Zidane started to chuckle. The stranger lifted an eye brow. "What's so funny?" he asked. Zidane then took an offensive formation and appeared ready for action. "You may be tough, but you're not _that_ tough." Declared Zidane. The youth looked surprised and confused. Suddenly, Zidane charged at him whist making a battle cry. The youth copied him. Before they collided, Zidane jumped up and kneed the youth in the face. The youth yelped with shock and pain before Zidane landed in front of him and slashed him across the chest. He followed the attack up with an additional four swipes of his blades then propelling him into the air with a charged strike. The man was so flabbergasted that he wailed as he soared through the air. Zidane spirited over to where he would land. "Fancy a game of volleyball!? He he!" he called to him. Just before he landed, the youth stopped himself in mid-air and floated right in front of Zidane. "What the-!" he said, surprised and amazed at what his enemy was doing. "No thanks." The stranger cleverly answered before rapidly raising himself into the air and stopping about quarter of a mile up and floating in the air. "What the hell is going on!? How can he fly?" Zidane questioned. The mystery man looked down at him from the sky. Zidane stood ready to defend against whatever he threw at him. The youth then brought his fists to his side and started to charge up a magic technique. Zidane gulped, "_Here we go..."_ he thought. The stranger suddenly lunged his hands forward and shouted the words: "STELLAR CIRCLE 5!" Zidane almost jumped out of his skin, just before the energy tornado appeared and pulled him into its swirling vortex. After a short period of pain, the tornado disappeared and Zidane went soaring to the ground. When he finally got to his feet he looked up to find the stranger, but he was nowhere to be found. "Blast! Where did he go!?" he shouted in anger an amazement. "Right here, monkey boy!" a voice called. Zidane looked forward and there he was standing in front of him. He hopped back after being startled by him. The youth chuckled. Zidane watched him with caution. _"What just happened!? He used one of my dyne techniques! This is insane!"_ he thought to himself.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Bag of Familiar Tricks

Zidane held his position, stunned with amazement after experiencing his own attack used against him by his anonymous opponent. The youth stood still with his arms folded. _"This guy sure is giving me the creeps..."_ Zidane thought, _"First of all, he is literally a dead man walking or a splitting image of that same guy. Secondly he's super strong and he can use my own techniques against me! I must find out how...."_ The youth relaxed his arms, "What's wrong, Tribal? Cat got you're tongue? Haha!" teased the stranger. "What's going on here? How do you know that attack?" asked Zidane. The mystery man smiled sinisterly. "Did you like that little trick? I've plenty more where that came from. Which one should I use next? Maybe Solution 9? Or even Dragon Crest?" pondered the man. Zidane gasped with surprise, "Dragon Crest? That's one for Freya's abilities!" claimed Zidane. The youth looked at him, "Yeah. I know. I could even use a little move called Doomsday or Ultima if I wanted." Explained the man.

"What!? You mean you can use _any_ of our spells!?" questioned Zidane. "He he. More than that, I could even call an eidolon out here if needed." The youth exclaimed. Zidane gasped, "No way! You're bluffing, that's not possible! Only summoners can do that and there are just two summoners left!" Claimed Zidane. "Yeah, Eiko and Sarah, right?" said the man. Zidane raised an eye brow, "Huh? Sarah?" he wondered. The youths grin grew larger, "Yeah, you know. You're precious Dagger. Hahaha!" he told him. Zidane began to get angry, "Grr. How do you know about them? Tell me!" he ordered. "Same way I know about you, Tribal." The youth answered. "But how!?" Zidane demanded. The stranger laughed, "Now that would be telling." He said. Zidane calmed down, "Fine, it doesn't matter. I'll still beat you!" he declared. The stranger chuckled, "Don't be too sure, I'm not so easily destroyed, Zidane, and you seem to be very bent on defeating me. I've never met anyone with quite as much spirit as you, it impresses me. So as a reward, I'll put you in your place with style, hehehe!" said the youth. Zidane stood defensively, "What are you gonna do?" he asked nervously. The stranger bent his knees slightly and put his hands together, "Oh, you'll love this one; you've had it thrown at you numerous times. Out of all of your teams moves, this one is one of my favourites." He said. Zidane gulped, when he saw the man start to charge up his next move. He brought his daggers up in front of him, ready to defend. Then, the youth's hands started to shine a blue aura that surrounded him.

"I don't like the feel of this..." Zidane said to himself. In an instant, the youth initiated his attack by shouting the word: "SHOCK!" he quickly lunged his hands in front of him and the spell made a direct hit. Zidane was overwhelmed with surprise, both from the sheer force of the attack and the fact that he could use it at will. He was immediately floored by the attack and could feel where it had struck him in the chest. Zidane cried out in agony and even spat up a bit of blood. The youth laughed out loud, "Did you like that? Cos I sure as hell did! HAHAHAHAHA!" he joked. He gazed down at the grounded Zidane, "Better look sharp, Tribal! If you don't get up right now, you'll never be able to catch me! Bye!" declared the youth before dashing towards the mountains, leaving Zidane behind.

Slowly, Zidane struggled to his feet, still wounded for the youth's last attack. When he finally stood up, he looked in the direction that his enemy went in. "Man! That guy's a rock! When I kneed him in the face, it felt like I was pounding into a wall of solid steel!" he said to himself, rubbing the knee that he attacked him with. He took a few moments to recover and catch his breath. "So that's why all of the monsters disappeared. This guy sucked them all up! Just like he did with that Sahagin. This is a crisis! If he finds his way to the Mist Continent, were all doomed!" he declared before running after him. "I've gotta catch up with him! He killed Chimomo, I'm sure of it! There's no one else around!" He said to himself as he sprinted towards the mountains.

After a short while, Zidane could see his enemy in front of him. _"There he is. I can do this! No stupid copy cat is going to do me in!"_ he thought. Suddenly, the youth stopped. Zidane continued to run towards him. He drew his daggers and joined them together to form a swallow blade. As he sprinted towards his foe, he noticed a white light where he was standing. When he got closer, the youth cried out "No Mercy!" and fired white ball of energy at him. Zidane quickly leaped into the air and dodged the blast, "Whoa man! That would've gone straight through me!" he said to himself, relived that he got out of the way in time. Zidane landed a few metres in front of the youth, _"He used on of Amarants techniques. It looks like he know us back to front, but how does he know these things? Who is he?"_ he thought. The youth laughed, "Well done, Zidane! I thought I had you there, almost." He said. Zidane grinned, "Yeah? Well, your gonna have to do a lot better than that to get rid of me." He stated. "So you know Amarants moves as well, do you?" he added. "Indeed I do. I know everyone of your team's abilities. I can read you like a book." He answered.

They stood in the plains of the Outer Continent, just outside the dead forest where the black mages and genomes live. Zidane was wary about their safety and was also worried about the possibility that the youth had got them, the way he got the Sahagin. "I wouldn't worry about the genomes and black mages." Said the youth. Zidane was surprised once again by his adversary. "I haven't got round to them yet." He added. "You know about them as well!?" Zidane asked him. The youth sighed with frustration, "I keep tellin' you, Tribal, I know everything!" he answered. "Now stop talking and start fighting!" he added and then charged at Zidane. The young genome did the same. The youth attempted to punch him again, but Zidane dodged, wrapped his tail round his arm, swung round and kicked him in the stomach. The stranger made an 'ooft' sound when Zidane kicked him. Zidane came back round and slashed his chest, and then his arm, then he stabbed him in the leg. The man cried out in pain after each swipe of Zidanes swallow blade. Zidane jumped back and casted Soul Blade on his foe, temporally blinding him. "My eyes! I can't see! Curse you, Tribal!" he shouted, with his hands over his face. Zidane laughed, "Now let's see you read me like a book when your eyes don't work! Haha!" he joked.

The youth continued to curse at Zidane, but the young genome had a plan. He took a few steps back then ran towards his enemy as fast as he could. Just when the stranger got his sight back, Zidane was right in his face, which startled him. He attempted to dodge but Zidane quickly drew his dagger and sliced the man's arm off. When this happened, the youth gave out a loud wail in pain. Zidane landed and turned around to face his enemy. He stood proud of his efforts when he saw his arm on the ground next to him. "Ha! I guess you could say I've dis-armed you!" he joked and started to laugh at him. "Stop laughing!" the youth yelled, this only made Zidane laugh louder though. His laugh was then silenced when the youth started to laugh under his breath. _"Huh? What's he laughing at? I chopped his arm clean off!"_ he thought. The youth turned around to face him, "A truly bold effort indeed, Zidane. But all wasted. Watch this..." he said.

Zidane gulped as the stranger tensed up and grunted. Soon after he started yelling at the top of his lungs. All of a sudden, the maimed arm started to quiver. _"Oh boy. What's happening to him?"_ Zidane thought. The youths yelling continued when, as quick as a flash, a new, fresh arm sprouted from his shoulder and grew to the length of the old one. "GEEZ! H-He grew his arm back!" shouted Zidane with his eyes bulging open. The youth exercised the arm to get used to the feel again, "Nice try, Zidane. But I'm full of tricks that make me impossible to defeat! What do you think of the new arm? Pretty cool, right?" said the youth. _"Oh man, now what? How can I defeat a guy who can grow limbs back!?"_ he thought to himself. "Time to put an end to this." He said, Zidane gulped, "From what I know, he's not kidding." He whispered. The youth leaped up into the air and readied his fist, "Here's another trick your familiar with: Climhazzard!" he yelled. He sky dived straight toward Zidane and launched his fist at him. On contact, the Climhazzard technique knocked Zidane to the ground, defeating him.

Zidane could hardly move, the youths attack was even more powerful that Beatrix's version of it. He tried to stand up, but was too badly injured to move. The youth gazed down at him, "Well, you're more resilient that I gave you credit for. I'll tell you what, Zidane, I'll give you a chance to save the black mages and genomes." He said. Zidane gasped with surprise. "B-but....... why? Why don't you..... just finish me off?" he asked, painfully. The youth grinned, "Well, I could do that easily enough, but I'm in a mood for a little play time. Here's what's gonna happen, listen carefully, because I'm only gonna say this once: I'll leave you alone for now so that you can recover and I won't attack the black mage village either. When you're done healing, seek me out and we'll have one last fight. If I win, I kill you, the genomes and the black mages. If you win, the black mage village _and_ your friends will not be harmed." He explained. "H... How will I be able to find you?" Zidane asked. "I'll be up at Conde Petie. Go there once you heal." He answered, and he started to walk away. "W-wait...." Zidane pleaded, "Who are you? And why are you doing this?" he added. "I'm doing this because you've got me over excited with those blows you gave me, they actually hurt. And my identity is trade secret, hehe." He answered and walked away. Zidane lay on the ground and closed his eyes so that he could recover.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Magic Level 4?

Zidane's eyes fluttered open and found himself at the foot of a mountain a few miles away from the dead forest. Right where he was when he went to sleep. He stirred round and came to his senses. He remembered exactly what the youth had said to him and hoped that he kept his word. He hopped to his feet and stood strong. "Looks like I've fully recovered." He said. Zidane looked out into the distance, and saw the sun setting behind the waves of the vast ocean. As he gazed upon the beautiful scenery, he couldn't help but think of Dagger. _"Dagger.... Just your name gives me butterflies, and it isn't even your real name. I don't know who this enemy is or how he knows what he knows, but I will not let him harm you. I won't let him hurt anyone!"_ he thought to himself, clenching his fist firmly when he thought his last demand.

Zidane turned around in the direction of Conde Petie. He frowned when he thought of his next challenge. "I'm coming for you! This time, I won't hold back!" he called out. Almost instantly, Zidane took off towards Conde Petie and sprinted there as fast as he could. What would take a human two hours took the angered genome two minutes. In no time at all, he arrived at the entrance to the former dwarf village. It now sat on the roots of the Iifa Tree as a quiet and deserted rock filled with cavities. Zidane took a moment to remember the peaceful dwarves that once inhabited this hand-carved paradise before making his way up the root and into the village. He held his defensive posture once he was inside and made his way into the ceremonial chamber, where he and Dagger where married.

"C'mon out! I know you're in here, show yourself!" he called out to his elusive foe. His voice echoed throughout the whole inner-village, afterwards, there was a deafening silence. It was so quiet that the smallest of fly's wings would be heard from a distance. Suddenly, there was a faint sound of footsteps. Zidane braced himself and listened intently to try and work out where the footsteps were coming from. The sound of the approaching, anonymous character got louder. Zidane's heart was pounding within his chest, his stomach tightened and his throat dried up due to his nerves. Then, he started to hear a faint laughing noise along with the footsteps. A cold shiver ran down Zidanes spine. Suddenly, the footsteps and laughing stopped. "Well, it's about time you got here." Said a voice out of nowhere. Zidane looked round, cautiously, in all directions. "I was beginning to think that you wouldn't show up." It continued. Zidane frowned, "Where are you?" he asked. There was no answered for a few seconds, Zidane continued to scan his line of sight. "I'm right here!" said the voice from Zidanes right. He quickly turned and found the youth standing in front of him with his arms folded and the same evil look in his eerie eyes.

Zidane stood his ground and showed no sign of fear. "Well, I came here. Just like I said I would. Now you better have kept your end of the bargain!" he threatened. The youth chuckled, "Don't worry. Unlike your idiot brother, I have no trouble keeping promises." He answered. Zidane clenched his fists, "He wasn't an idiot! He was miss guided! Kuja _did_ do wrong and caused atrocities, but the last time I saw him he said the he 'finally realised what it meant to live', and I could see it in his eyes that he meant it. The only idiot here is you!" he said, defending Kuja's honour. The youth frowned at Zidane, "Yeah, whatever. Words are not going to help you with this fight, Tribal. So you better get your act together! I'm expecting a good match." He said whilst he assumed an offensive position. On contrast, Zidane drew his blades and formed a defensive position. At that moment, their movement was halted as they entered a period of tense stalemate.

They both stood as statues in the heart of Conde Petie. The fresh wind brushed through Zidane's fine, blonde hair and tickled his sensitive tail. The cool breeze lifted leaves and twigs from the ground and scattered them around the area of the two warriors. The wind whistled from above and the faint noise of dripping water could be heard in the background. Zidane's tattered and slightly ripped clothes waved gently through the breeze and his pony-tail, which was now half way down his back swished in the wind. He stared into the eyes of evil itself as the youth firmly stood his ground, showing no sign of distraction from the natural events that were happening around them. The youth stared right back at Zidane, this time with a more cautious look on his face, _"I can see the anger in his eyes. The last two encounters were only child's play, this time he is serious. I can tell. This may be tougher that I originally thought, but I should try to conserve strength. I don't want to go past the third level if I don't have to, but I may be forced to in this battle." _He thought. Zidane tightened his grip on the handles of his daggers, _"He looks meaner than before, he knows that I'm going all out. I've got a feeling saying that he's got a lot more tricks up his sleeve; this guy is completely different that anyone I've ever faced. But I know that he isn't unbeatable, his bones can be broken and his flesh can be burned. There's got to be a way to win, there just has to be." _He thought.

Suddenly, in a split second, the stalemate was ceased when the youth leaped in the air and aimed for Zidane. The young genome braced himself and readied his defence. "Flare!" cried the stranger. Zidane quickly jumped backwards and avoided the spell's destructive power. When he landed, he jettisoned himself into the air towards his enemy. The youth spotted his approach and manoeuvred out of his way. However, Zidane countered by wrapping his tail around his ankle, which startled the sinister man, and flung him into the solid wall of rock. The youth fell to the ground after wailing out in pain, with the large, solid, bricks of the wall crashing down and landing on top of him. Zidane smirked, "Ha! Didn't see _that_ coming did you!?" he said in triumph. Almost instantly, his foe rose from the rubble, lifting a large stone over his head and launching it directly at our hero. Zidane rolled to the side and avoided the boulder, only to look up and have a fist strike him in the face. The youth had caught him off guard and gave him a nose bleed, much to Zidane's disgust. "You! Look what you did to my face, you bastard! You've just defaced a national monument!"" he yelled at him. The youth laughed at the genomes misfortune, "Wrong. I've actually improved it! HAHAHAHA!" he joked, blowing a raspberry at Zidane.

The frustrated genome then attacked his foe head on, drenching him with swipes of his daggers. The youth was able to defend against some and countered others with powerful punches. This lock in combat lasted for two to three minutes, neither fighter giving in. Eventually, the assault ceased and both of them took their place on opposite sides of the Kirkboat. The youth was worn out, breathing heavily trying to catch his breath, as was Zidane. "Whoa (huff-heave), you sure have gotten (huff-huff) a lot (heave-heave) stronger than before!" panted the youth. Zidane grinned, "That's true (huff-huff), but already (heave-heave) guessed that didn't you." Claimed Zidane, still trying to catch his breath. The youth suddenly calmed down, "That's true. So I guess I have no choice but to reveal a little secret of mine to you, Tribal." He said. "Huh?" wondered Zidane, "A secret?" he added.

The youth grinned, "Yes. You see I know more than yours and your friend's techniques. I've got some skills of my own as well." He explained. The youth bent his knees, withdrew his arms to his sides and clenched his fists. Zidane went on defensive, nervous about what his enemy was doing. The youth started to charge a black magic spell, and from time it was taking to do so, it was a powerful one. The ground started to shake under the sheer power that the youth was concentrating. Zidane gulped _"Oh man! What now!?"_ he thought. The man laughed, sinisterly, behind his teeth, "GRRRAHHHHH! Get ready for Magic Element Level 4, Tribal!" He yelled. Zidane took a few steps back, "What!? Magic Element Level 4? What do you mean!?" he answered. The quake that the youth was creating made a deafening sound that blanked out normal speech. "HA HA HA! You'll see! Watch out for this, Tribal! It's a doozy!" he warned. At that moment, the youth unleashed his devastating attack by calling out the word "THUNDAJA!"

In the blink of an eye, three giant lightning bolts descended from the black clouds above and struck Zidane. Screaming out in pain and terror, Zidane was engulfed by a huge wave of electrical energy. Then, there was a massive explosion that crumbled the roots that Conde Petite sat upon, bringing the old dwarven village crashing down the cliff beneath it and soon after, it made impact with the ground which shook the whole continent.

The youth inside retained his position on the Kirkboat, despite the cataclysmic event that just occurred. The inside of Conde Petie was much darker that before, cracks had appeared in some of the walls while other had crumbled completely. "Hm, guess I nuked him a little _too_ long." He said. He then looked in front of him and saw Zidane, shrouded in smoke, knelt down with is hair stuck up, covered in blood. He was breathing heavily, out of breath and amazement that he survived. The youth chuckled, "Ha! Did you like that? Sure was worth the suspense, right?" he joked. The thick smoked cleared, revealing that Zidanes right shoulder was dislocated and had blood pouring down his arm, staining his cuff red. He was grasping his damaged shoulder with his left hand and was unable to move his right arm. "Geez.... I-I can't believe I survived that...." he said, dazed from the pain. The youth laughed aloud, "HAHAHAHAHAHA! I haven't used that spell in _years_. It's quite remarkable, don't you think, Tribal? It's a legendary spell that not only deals tremendous lightning damage, but also transforms all the energy in your body into 10,000 volts of electricity! HAHAHAHAHA!" he laughed. Zidane struggled to his feet and stared at his foe in awe, _"Oh boy! This is insane! How can I defeat an enemy with that kind of strength at his disposal?"_ he dreaded.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Spilling the Beans

Conde Petie lay crumbled in the gully that it once sat atop. Its walls were destroyed and its civilisation lost. Since then, it had become a dead village, no more than a cavity filled stone that sat on the roots of the once mysterious Iifa Tree. However, inside the walls of the crumbled village, Zidane remains battle scarred from his foes last attack: the Thundaja spell. Blood trickled from a wound on his right arm, which was also badly dislocated. Streams of blood covered his face, his clothes were all torn and burnt and his hair stuck up from the huge jolt of lightning he suffered. He could hardly stand and was confronted by his seemingly unstoppable foe; a mysterious young man. The youth towered over the crippled genome and made him seem like nothing.

Zidane looked into the eyes of his daunting enemy, short of ideas to use against him. The youth gave a sinister smile and chuckled behind his teeth. "Ironic or what? It now appears that _you_ have been disarmed!" he teased. Zidane somehow managed to summon the strength necessary to stand, but nothing more. The youth could clearly see his futile attempts to stand up straight, "C'mon, Tribal. I've beaten you and you know it! Just give up already." He demanded. Zidane tried to catch his breath and realised the fruitless results that would soon transpire if he carried on fighting. "You're right. It's hopeless, I can't fight without my arm..." he admitted, holding his right shoulder with is left hand. The youth's eyes widened as if he was slightly surprised with Zidanes sudden submission. Soon after, he chuckled to himself and grasped his victory, "Well, at least you have the guts to say so. You're a noble warrior, Tribal. I'll give you that. But you do realise that now I'm going to hunt down and kill all of your friends." Explained the youth. Zidane gave an angry yet defeated look, "Yes, I know. But (grraah), there isn't anything I can do to stop that now." He said. The youth grinned, "A bold one, yes. I'll enjoy sucking you up. You'll be an appetising meal, indeed. It's very rare to find people like you, Tribal. That's right, I'm gonna get you the way I got that Sahagin!" he explained.

Zidane frowned, "Very well. But before I submit to you, at least honour my final request: Tell me, who are you?" he asked. The youth looked at him, hesitant to answer. Zidane stared back at him, with a serious look. The silence continued for a few more seconds before the youth finally broke it. "Hmm, very well. Since you're I'm going to absorb you anyway, I guess there's no harm in telling you." He answered, sportsmanlike. Zidane quietly sighed with relief.

The youth stood straight with his arms folded, "My name is Ares. I am an alien." He said. Zidane gasped, "You? You're an alien?" he asked. "That's right. I am the most lethal and capable being in existence. As you may have guessed, I came here to Gaia in a meteorite." Explained Ares. Zidane frowned, "So _you're_ the one who killed Chimomo." Zidane stated. "Oh yes. I remember him. He was a weakling and an idiot." Ares answered. Zidane clenched his fist, but soon gained control of himself and relaxed. "Carry on." He ordered. "If you insist. You see, I was created, originally, by a highly advanced race of people on a planet millions of light years away from here. I was artificially grow in a science lab by a very creative professor who desired to construct being that had the ability to inherit the most powerful warriors in the universe's abilities into a single entity. He and his people were bent on becoming the _only_ race in existence. The result was a complete success, as you have witnessed, and I was given the ability to suck the life out of entire planets! They planned to use me to accomplish their ultimate goal, but unfortunately, there was an accident that resulted in that planet being vaporised. I was able to escape in time, however, due to my being gaining a sense of self rather than just a mindless creature obeying orders." He reminisced. "So, what happened then? You just travelled from planet to planet, taking away the lives of innocent people?" questioned Zidane. "Precisely." Ares remarked.

"I did exactly that. The only difference was that I did it for my own amusement rather that a higher purpose like universal domination." He said, chuckling behind his teeth. "And that's why I'm here: to suck up this planets life!" he told the genome. Zidanes eyes widened and he gasped in horror, "You monster!" he claimed. "I guess you could say that. Yes, I am a monster, and proud of it! Hehehehahahah" laughed Ares. "It's quite amazing how I drain a planet, if you don't mind me bragging: a few days before I arrived on a planet that is to be drained, I grow and send four pods to the planet. When they land, the pods grow into nodes which root themselves into the planets core and absorb the life from the planet. This takes around six months to accomplish. I've already been here for four months; therefore, only two moths remain for this world. HAHAHAHA! The nodes will not show up on any kind of radar, so it's hoplesstrying to find them. After the six months are up, I simply locate the nodes and drain all the energy they collected from the planet and leave in another meteorite. All the planets natural life dies." Explained Ares. Zidane clenched his fist in hatred. "Any other questions?" he asked. "Y-Yes, how can you use our abilities against us?" answered Zidane. Ares grinned, "Well, that's quite unique as well." He answered

"While my nodes are doing their job, I arrive in my meteorite and undergo a four month long slumber. During this time, I create an organism that scouts the planet and makes copies of genes and brainwaves of the planets most powerful fighters. In this case that includes the young but powerful Vivi, the determined Knight of Pluto Captain Adelbert Steiner and the lonely one-man-army who calls himself the Flaming Amarant. Also, there is the lovelorn dragon knight Freya Crescent and her partner, Sir Iron-Tail Fratley. Then, there is the young and naive Queen Garnet Til Alexandros 17th, or as you call her Dagger but her birth name was Sarah. There were genes from young summoner Eiko Carol and the always hungry Quina Quen as well as Alexandria's General Beatrix. There are also genes from the prototype genome, Kuja and, of course, genes were extracted from you, Tribal. The organism used for this method is no bigger than a house fly, almost microscopic. After this, the organism returns to the meteorite and induces me with the genes it collected, allowing me to emerge from the meteorite. Then I scourge the current planet to absorb its inhabitant's souls and life-force to grow my strength even more. You've already seen me do this. You know, to that Sahagin." Explained Ares. Zidane relaxed, "Finally, I understand. You learned Stellar Circle 5 when you inherited my genes. And that's also how you know everything about me" Stated Zidane. "That's right." Said Ares.

"Anything else you want to know?" he asked. "Yes. How come you're standing here when I saw your dead body earlier?" Asked Zidane. Ares chuckled, "The person you saw was not me. When I came here, I looked a lot different than I do now. So, I needed a makeover so as not to be noticed so easily. Part of my being is the ability to perfectly imitate other life forms. The guy you saw outside my meteorite was the unlucky soul that I first came across on Gaia, so I decided to borrow his body. I attacked him to, not kill him, but to absorb him, digest him. When I swallow a life form whole, I copy their appearance and mutate into their being. What you saw outside the crater where the leftovers of who I imitated this body from. Pretty ingenious, don't you think?" He explained.

"Now, are we done talking?" asked Ares. Zidane lowered his head, "Yes. I'm ready now." He said. Ares grinned, but then, Zidane looked up again with a cunning smile on his face, "You've said _more_ than enough!" he stated. Ares' eyes widened, "What?" he said, startled. Suddenly Zidane easily stood up and popped his arm back into place. "What the-!" yelled Ares, "B-But, you were finished!" Zidane chuckled, "I just needed a little time to regain my strength, that's all. That Thundaja spell of yours was pretty painful, but nothing I can't recover from. Man, you sure do have a big mouth on you." Teased Zidane, still giving Ares a cunning grin and working his arm out. "Grrrr! You tricked me! I should've known you were up to something!" cursed Ares. Zidanes smile grew larger, "I won't let you have your way with Gaia, Ares! I'll make sure of that. Your terror ends here!" declared Zidane, taking an offensive formation. On contrast, Ares assumed a defensive position as they prepared to face off once again.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Battle for Gaia Begins

Zidane and Ares charged each other, head on. Zidane slashed at Ares with his dagger, cutting him across the chest. The genome followed up the attack with seven more slashes before forming his swallow blade and stabbing Ares in the stomach. The evil alien grunted because of his injuries, but they didn't stop him. Rather they made him angrier. He charged at Zidane who jumped up and avoided him, however, Ares balanced himself with his hands, lifted his legs off the ground and then propelled himself towards Zidane at neck breaking speeds. He attacked by kicking Zidane in the back with both feet. Our hero cried out in pain and went flying into the brick wall, crumbling it to the ground on contact. Ares landed and smirked at his downed foe. His victory was short lived, however, as Zidane rose up from the runnel, seemingly undamaged.

"Ugh! Damn you, Tribal." Cursed Ares. Zidane grinned while cracking his neck, "You're gonna have to do better than that to put me down." He remarked. Ares started to become frustrated at the genome. "Try this on for size, monkey boy! Flare Star!" he yelled, casting the multi-target Non-Elemental spell on Zidane. Our hero was injured but quickly regained his strong posture, only to hear Ares chant "Scoop Art!" At that moment, several blasts of energy appeared and started to strike Zidane. Each one gave a great deal of damage. Zidane was forced to the ground after the mimic that Ares had performed, groaning because of the damage that was deal on him. "Hehehehahaha, I'm not the easy catch you thought, am I Tribal." Stated Ares. Zidane picked himself up and faced Ares, "Ugh! I _never_ underestimate my opponents, Ares. I knew that you were gonna be tough ever since I first saw you! But I won't give up, even if you're stronger than me!" declared Zidane. Ares grinned, "Such a fighter's spirit. I'm sure you'll prove to be a satisfying meal." He said.

Zidane suddenly recovered, "That's what _you_ think you freak of nature!" he shouted before rushing towards Ares and slicing his blade into his shoulder. The alien yelped with shock and pain before kicking Zidane in the stomach and grounding him yet again. Ares then grabbed the dagger and ripped it from his wound, which closed up and healed itself afterwards. Zidane frowned, _"Darn! That didn't work either. He has to have a weak point somewhere!"_ he thought. Ares quickly reacted and threw the dagger back at Zidane, just missing his head. _"Grrah! That wretch! The wound healed fine, but that last attack of his did serious damage! I'm starting to wonder if even I can beat him! I must not be strong enough yet. I need to find more bio extract!"_ Ares pondered. Zidane hopped to his feet and Ares launched his fist at him straight away, which lead to another lock in combat. They moved so fast that it was hardly possible to see what they were doing. Their duel forced them to the highest point of the ruined Conde Petie. "Why don't you just leave it alone, Ares!" yelled Zidane, "What, and let you get in the way of my scheme? You're too much trouble to be kept alive!" replied Ares, in the midst of combat. Zidane then blocked Ares' punch, dived between his legs, hopped up and kicked him in the back of the head. "If that's the case, you'd better up your game!" shouted Zidane to a falling Ares.

The evil alien soon recovered and flew back up to the platform where Zidane stood. Zidane regained his defensive posture, "So you know Kuja's little flying trick, huh!?" questioned Zidane. Ares grinned, "Of course, I've got his genes inside me, remember?" he reminded the genome who grinned back at him, "All too well." He answered. Ares assumed his offensive pose, secretly weary of Zidane's actions. _"This is only getting worse! I need to get him somehow..... Wait! That's it...."_ plotted Ares. Zidane joined his blades together to acquire his swallow blade. "C'mon! This time, I'll get you!" stated Zidane. Ares smiled sinisterly, "Oh really? Then get out of _this_ one!" he yelled before turning his fingers into the goo-like substance and launching his tentacles at him. Zidane was startled, but quickly leaped in the air to avoid them. Ares countered, however, but doing the same thing with his other hand while the genome was in mid air. Zidane started to panic, "Uh oh! C'mon, I'm feeling lucky. Lucky Seven!" he chanted. Ares was hit by the spell and was grounded by it, his tentacles were instantly retracted. "Phew. Worked like a charm." Said Zidane as he touched ground, relived that the ability worked.

Ares, who was now a level below Zidane and was severely weakened, struggled to his feet. He stared up at Zidane, trying to come up with a plan. "_Grrrr! No way! He got lucky! That technique has damaged me a lot! I need to find more people to absorb, but how? I can't get to the Black Mage Village because he's blocking the way! The only alternative is..... Yes, that's it."_ Thought Ares. Zidane jumped down to face him, "Give it up, Ares! That attack has severely decreased you're strength and you know it!" he claimed. Ares frowned, "So now I know where I got my skills of judgement from. Yes, I _have_ been weakened by your attack. But that doesn't mean you win." He explained as his frown became a grin. A concerned look appeared on Zidanes face. "W-What do you mean?" he asked. "Ha! Watch your eyes! Soul Blade!" yelled Ares. A burst of light emerged from his hands. Zidane cried out as the rays of light damaged his eyes and left him temporally blinded. Immediately after, Ares darted to the south, leaving our hero behind.

Zidane shielded his face with his hands, screaming out loud. "AAAAHHHH! My eyes! I can't see, what's going on!?" he cried. As Zidane struggled for his eyesight, Ares sprinted towards the ocean, "That idiot! Fell right into my hands! HAHAHAHA! I must hurry though; he could still catch up to me. The waves of the ocean are powerful enough to slow even _me_ down. And he has a boat ready for him! There isn't a second to lose!" he said to himself as he continued to rush towards the edge of the continent. Meanwhile, Zidane's sight was finally returning to him. "Ugh.... Man that move is a killer!" he said. When he came to, he soon realised that Ares had escaped, "Huh? What the-! Ares! Where are you!?" he called out. He searched every corner of his eyesight.

"Dammit! He gave me the slip! Where could he have gone!?" he wondered. Zidane looked to the east, _"I doubt that he went to the Black Mage Village. If he has my genes in him, he'll 'ave known that I would be able to catch him."_ He thought. ""And he's got no reason to go to the Iifa Tree and Madain Sari, so that means that he must have...." started Zidane before working out Ares' plan. "Oh no! He's going to the Mist Continent to take more innocent lives! Fossil Roo is blocked off from the other side, so he must be planning on swimming there. If that's the case, it might not be too late. The current is strong enough to hold _anyone _back, even if he _is_ an alien!" he reassured himself before running towards the western mountain and climbing up the side to get to the mountain path. He sprinted north towards Madain Sari, "I need to get to the boat before he gets too far ahead! Chimomo...... I wish you were coming with me. I'll get him for what he did to you, I promise!" he said to himself.

He rushed through the plains and leaped over rocks until he reached the home of the old summoners. Ignoring everything else, he ran straight down to the harbour and jumped into the boat without preparation. Wasting no time, Zidane cut the rope that stopped it from floating away, grabbed the oar and beat against the water with it. The boat moved with amazing speed and soon enough he was out of the harbour. Zidane turned back for a moment to remember all of the times he shared with Chimomo modifying the very boat he set sail on. _"I'm sorry that it turned out like this Chimomo. I should have been there for you, but I wasn't. I'm not sure if there's anything I can do for you to forgive me, but I'm gonna try!"_ he thought. The young genome then continued to paddle through the ocean to pursue Ares. As he got further out to sea, he felt more alone and vulnerable when pitch black clouds appeared above him. Almost instantly, the powerful gusts that quickly took form turned the calm sea into a wasteland of raging waves. Rain started to pour down from the sky and the boat was in the middle of the natural catastrophe. "Ares! I don't care what fate throws at me; I will not let you harm anyone! Do you hear me! I will stop you! No matter what!" Zidane called out beyond the waves of destruction and the winds of disaster. He released the sail and began his search for the scourge of reality....


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Combat in the Waves

The massive waves of the sea crashed down around Zidane's boat. It rocked viciously from side to side due to being thrashed by the angry waters. Zidane, wearing no form of water proof gear, gripped tightly to the sides of the boat, drenched from the rain and the attacking sea. He started to worry if the improvements that he and Chimomo made to the boat were going to be enough. The sail waved fiercely in the wind, the boat creaked from all the pressure that it was experiencing from the destructive forces of the ocean. Lightning appeared in the sky and was edging dangerously close to the sail. When the boat started to fill up with water, he quickly grabbed a little bucket that was on board, scooped up a portion of water and threw it back into brutal waves of the sea. He looked down and saw that the boat was still full of water, "Oh man. You get rid of one gallon and another 5 take its place!" he mumbled. Suddenly, he remembered what Garnet said in Madain Sari when she reminisced about her childhood as a summoner. About how her true mother protected her from the lurching waves. _"I bet this is what Dagger went through when she and her mother fled from Madain Sari when Garland, who, in a way, was my father, destroyed it. I can't help but feel slightly responsible..."_ he thought.

He continued his fruitless attempts to empty his boat of the water. Every scoop seemed like a challenge all in itself as he had to endure the torrential rain pelting his numb, freezing body as well as the endless attacks of the ocean. Each wave covered his body head to toe in water that's temperature was below freezing. His hair was so wet that every strand excessively dripped sea water. His tail was so numb that it could only rapidly tremble as the rest of his body worked none stop to prevent his boat from sinking. The thought of returning to Garnet was the only thing that kept him going. Zidane struggled with all his might to rid the water from inside the boat. _"Dagger... Everyone... I won't give up! I will save you all!"_ He thought. In no time at all, Zidane had reached the southern area of the Outer Continent, just off the coast of the Iifa Tree.

Meanwhile, a few miles away from Zidane's location in the angry ocean, Ares battled ferociously through the violent waves of the sea. Without a boat, the sinister extraterrestrial was swimming towards the Mist Continent as the powerful waters tore away at his muscles. Although he was strong enough to withstand the incredible force of the waves, they were noticeably slowing him down. _"This is just what I need to get the blood pumping! The people of the world will never know what him 'em!"_ he thought before laughing an evil laugh. He continued to counter-attack the oceans extremely damaging blows. Eventually, he spotted Zidanes boat over the gigantic mounds of water in the distance. "So, Tribal is out here as well. Perfect! This will be a fight for the history books!" he said to himself before changing course and swimming west, towards Zidane.

On his boat the young genome held onto the mast having gotten rid of all the water that he could. The waves had grown stronger as the storm passed over the Outer Continent. The wind whistled as its gust controlled the water and struck Zidane. The thunder was louder and the lightning was brighter than before. The rain still poured from the sky at an immense speed, it was like an endless volley of arrows as it continued to pelt the genomes body. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..." he said to himself. Suddenly a scene from a nightmare flashed before his eyes as he pictured what would happen if his most recent foe reached civilization. Buildings blazed with roaring flames, streets were covered in corpses and the water in the gutters was dyed red from the blood of innocent bystanders. Men who were husbands and fathers were meaninglessly wiped out of existence. Wives and mothers were engulfed within the inferno and their flesh was black like burnt tissue. Children were left alone in the dead of night, calling for their deceased parents. And in the middle of it all, Ares stood in all his terror. His laugh sent shivers down Zidanes spin as he made it clear that he was enjoying every second of painfully taking the lives of those who posed no threat to him and his evil.

Zidane suddenly snapped back to reality, "No! I won't let it come to that!" he declared. He let go of the mast and bravely picked up the oar. However, before he began to paddle, he could hear a voice skimming on the air. As he struggled to listen over the deafening roars of the raging ocean and daunting thunder, he was able to make out that the voice was laughing. Although it was still masked by the storm, he knew that the source of the voice was getting closer. Suddenly, something leaped from the sea and landed on the end of the boat. Zidane immediately recognised the figure as Ares. He stood strong in front of Zidane, who was clinging to the side of the boat with the oar in his hand. "Tribal! I guessed that I'd find you out here at some point! What do you think!? Isn't this storm exhilarating!?" he yelled out over the screeches of the wind. Zidane struggled to his feet and stood before Ares, "For you maybe! For me, this is the worst possible thing that could happen out at sea!" he called back. Ares gave a patronising yet sinister smile, "Oh don't pout, Tribal! The fun's just startin'!" he shouted before forming an offensive position. Zidane frowned, "I'd rather settle this without violence! But If I have to, so be it!" he yelled at his enemy. Ares grinned, "Let me put it to you in simple words: you _have_ to!" he declared. Zidane drew his daggers and took a defensive formation. The two warriors stood strong aboard the boat that lurched about in the storm.

Suddenly, Ares charged at Zidane and threw a series of punches at him. Zidane blocked some but was hit by most of them. As Ares pulled back, Zidane rose up and cut his face to which Ares responded with a flabbergasted grunt. The alien countered with a kick to the face, which Zidane dodged and whipped Ares with his tail. Ares cursed him as he backed away, "Gah! Your tail packs quite a sting!" he exclaimed. Zidane smiled cunningly, "Ha! It's got more force than that on a good day!" he explained. "Now take this!" he yelled, Zidane slashed at Ares who avoided his attacks and launched his fist at him. He hit Zidane in the face, but he quickly recovered and head butted the alien right on the forehead. Ares took a step back whilst yelping in pain. Zidane took his chance and stabbed Ares in the leg who reacted by wailing out loud. Angry, Ares kneed Zidane in the stomach with full force. The blow winded the genome and he struggled to catch his breath. When he was able to breathe properly again, Zidane engaged Ares in another combat lock. The genome attacked the alien with furious swipes of his daggers, who countered with damaging jabs of his fists.

Suddenly, as the two fighters were still wrapped up in their epic struggle for victory, a lightning bolt struck the mast which fell and landed between Zidane and Ares, who noticed it just in time to dodge. The sheer force of the mast, however, tore a hole through the boats hull and it immediately began to flood with water. When they looked at each other, Ares grinned, turned around and attempted to leap off the boat. Zidane quickly reacted, however, by striding forward and burying both his daggers into Ares' back, preventing his escape. The alien screamed out in agony as Zidane pulled him back onto the boat. In an attempt to free himself, Ares wrestled with Zidane, trying to pull the daggers from his back. "AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!! You bastard! How dare you! GGGRRRAAAHHH!!!! Let me go right now!" ordered Ares as he painfully reached behind him and tried to struggle free. Zidane wrapped his legs around him and his tail around the downed mast, "Oh no! I don't think so! If the ship goes down, we go down with it!" he declared. Ares' eyes widened as he was stunned with shock. "WHAT!? You'd sacrifice yourself for these Gaian dogs!?" he screamed. Zidane gave him a bold smile, "I sure would. If giving my life away means ridding the universe of you, then I think that's a small price to pay. Everyone thinks I'm dead anyway..." he whispered calmly to Ares. Ares started to panic, "YOU MANIAC! Huh!?" shouted Ares as he spotted an enormous tidal wave headed straight towards them.

Zidane soon noticed it as well. He smiled; knowing what would happen if the boat was engulfed by the natural titan. "NOOOOOOO!!!!!! If that wave hits, WERE FINISHED!!!!" screamed Ares. The wave was rapidly approaching them with an unstoppable force. "Hey! Tribal! Look, were _both_ gonna be history if you don't let me go right now!" he pleaded. Zidane smirked, "You sound a little scared, Ares. I thought you were supposed to be fearless, hehe...." he calmly replied. The genome tightly gripped the hilts of his blades that were embedded in Ares' back. As he looked down, he saw his hands covered in the aliens blood that was pouring out of his wounds. "TRIBAL! Don't be an idiot! You're better that this! I should know, your genes are a part of me! If you don't let go, were going to die!" Ares begged further. "It's the only way that I can beat you!" cried Zidane. Ares cursed him, "YOU'RE INSANE! You were genetically grown to kill all life on this planet and now you're giving your life to save it!? Tribal, you're a disgrace!!!!!" he yelled. Zidane moved closer to his ear, "You're only saying that because I'm not like you. I've experienced what few people would dare to dream in my life. And as long as my friends remember me, I'll never _truly_ die..." he explained. The massive wave was so close to them now that they could feel the water that spewed over the top of it. Zidane closed his eyes and remembered all the happy times he spent with his friends: He remembered chasing Dagger around Alexandria castle and performing 'I Want To be Your Canary' with his brothers in Tantalus. He reminisced is battle with Amarant at Madain Sari and his journey to Burmecia with Vivi and Freya. He then remembered when Beatrix and Steiner rebelled against Queen Brahne and then his and Quinas battle with the Earth Guardian. He also thought about when he first met Eiko at Conde Petie Mountain Path and their final fight against Kuja. Finally, he remembered Garnet singing Melodies of Life to him at Lindblum, the feeling he got from her voice soothed him, even now, while he started death in the face.

He opened his eyes to see the gigantic wave right before him. "TRIBAAAAAAAALLL!!!!!!!!" screamed Ares. Zidane tightened his grip around the alien's waist and took in a deep breath before the boat; Ares and Zidane himself were swallowed up by the monster tsunami.

Zidane felt his grip on Ares slowly slipping away. He didn't try to hang onto him anymore as they were both already in the depths of the giant wave. Thus he released his grip at let the alien go. The genome closed his eyes and continued to hold his breath. _"Dagger, I'm sorry I lied to you. I'm sorry that I never came back. But I had to do this before he was able to get you. You'll never even know that he was here. I do this for you, everyone: Dagger, Vivi, Steiner, Freya, Eiko, Amarant, Quina, Beatrix, Cid, Hilda, Blank, Marcus, Cinna, Boss, Benero, Zenero, Genero, Tot, Fratley, Mikoto and yes..... Even you, Kuja..."_ Zidane thought. He slowly felt himself losing his breath. He was able to hold his breath for awhile, but he couldn't feel anything: his body was numb and his head was throbbing. He always heard that drowning was a horrible way to die and now that he was experiencing it, it was more painful than any other kind of torture a man could suffer. He couldn't bare it any longer, his throat and chest tightened as he started to suffocate. He could feel death towering over him; he kept his eyes shut, afraid of what would happen if he opened them. His lungs were burning, he had to release his breath, it was the only way the end this agonising pain, but it would result in an almost instant demise for him. He didn't care now, though. He was going to die sooner or later; he might as well get it over with. His body remained tense as he kept hold of his breath for a few seconds longer before he finally let go and breathed out. His lungs calmed down and exhaled all the air from within him. Zidane immediately opened his eyes with astonishment, _"My lungs! I can breathe!"_ he thought.

His eye sight was blurred from the trauma he experienced. He lifted his head of the ground as he slowly got his sight back. The sun shone brightly in his face, he could hear the sound of birds singing and the sea as it passed over the sand. A gentle breeze swept over him. The air was clear as no mist was present. _"Looks like the mist is gone for good now..."_ he thought.

He was on a beach. The boat was next to him, smashed beyond repair. Zidane could hardly stand up but he was able to raise himself up to look around. He saw the ocean behind him in its calm and gentle state: the storm was over. _"Where am I?"_ he thought. He gazed up to see mountains ahead of him. Also, the sound of a large gust of wind could be heard in the background. He looked around some more to discover a person kneeling down, not 4 feet away from him. He adjusted to the light and saw Ares keeling in the sand, looking from side to side. Zidane gasped, _"Oh no! He's still alive!"_ he thought.

The alien looked down at him and grinned, "(Sigh), layin' down on the job, Tribal? He he ha ha!" he chuckled before standing up and running towards the mountains. Zidane quickly summoned his strength, got up and pursued Ares, "Get back here, you alien freak!" he called after him. Zidane followed Ares into the mountains...


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 

Chase Ares

Zidane quickly rose up and left the boat wreck on the beach to purse Ares. The alien had gained one or two minutes on Zidane, but the wounds on his back were slowing him down. _"Grr. That lousy idiots wounds have weakened me! I need to find something to absorb!"_ Ares thought to himself as he tried to outrun Zidane. The young genome wasn't giving up though as he followed Ares into the mountains. As they got closer, Zidane started to recognise their location, and he started to slow down until, eventually, he ground to a halt. "Hold on. I must be going mad... We're on the Mist Continent? Already!? Geez, how far did that wave take us?" he wondered before realising that his foe was getting away. "Darn! I can't lose him! Not now, I'll never find him again if I do!" he said as he started to sprint after Ares again.

As they got closer, the mountain range ahead of them was actually two sets of mountains. There was a gap between them. Ares ran as fast as he could, knowing that in his present state, he could not battle Zidane. A shadow veiled itself over him as he reached the mountains. "Not far now. Just beyond this mountain range and I've hit the jackpot! Hehe!" he said to himself. He looked around and saw that Zidane was hot on his trail. Ares picked up the pace he was running at and entered the cavity in the mountains. Zidane quickly followed and was attacked by a pair of Lizard Men upon entry to the mountains. The young genome avoided their axes with a swift dive before drawing his daggers and decapitating the both with two simple swipes. He took a moment of relief before continuing his pursuit. "Phew. Well, at least Ares hasn't got started over here yet." He gladly stated.

Up ahead, Ares was confronted by a Yeti. When the creature charged at him, Ares laughed sinisterly, "Hahaha! Ok then, have it your way! Top of the starter menu: Yeti! Kee Hee Hee." The alien chuckled before unleashing his goo-like tentacles from his hands. The white haired fiend suddenly stopped, but was given no chance to escape when the tentacles opened up and swallowed it whole. Then, as quick as a flash, the tentacles retracted and the Yeti was absorbed into his being. Ares licked his lips, "Mm mm mm, great, yummy." He bragged. Afterwards, the alien continued through the passageway until he got into the open. He looked around to inspect his current surroundings before grinning, "There's plenty of life here. I'd better hurry though, I'm still not strong enough." He warned himself, and he ran into the plains. Soon after, Zidane, too, had escaped the mountain path. "Whoa! How did-" he started but failed to finish, astonished by the view. Ahead of him was a small desert and beyond that was a huge sandstorm that looked like a tornado. "Could it be...... Cleyra? It's been restored! Man, they sure didn't mess about if they got it back to normal in one year." He said to himself, "So, I really am back on the Mist Continent..." he realised.

As he scanned the area in front of him, he heard a roar in the distance, covered up by the loud wind of Cleyra's sandstorm. He looked around and saw a person a mile ahead of him, "THERE HE IS!" he yelled. "And by the sounds of it, he's started absorbing native monster! This _isn't_ good!" he stated. At that moment, Zidane ran towards his enemy as fast as possible. He was moving at such a tremendous speed that he was creating a huge could of sand behind him. Ares had just finished swallowing up a group of Sand Scorpions, and it was too late to run when he spotted Zidane. "Dammit! I thought he was further behind that this!" he cursed. Suddenly, Zidane stopped right in front of him. Ares stood strong and firm. "I must say, Tribal, I'm impressed. I didn't think that you were _this_ fast. You recovered quick after the crash." He explained. Zidane grinned, "You have my genes. So, you should have known that it wouldn't take me long to catch up to you. And I thought you would be faster." He answered. "Yeah? Well you didn't have two holes in your back, did you. But, now that I've absorbed a few life forms, that ain't a problem no more." He said with a sinister smile playing on his lips. Zidane grinded his teeth, "You'll pay for what you've done, Ares! I'll get you for what you did to Chimomo!" he declared, and he charged at Ares. The evil alien smiled, "Not today. 1,000 Needles!" he chanted before countless needles fired at Zidane, each one embedding themselves in Zidanes body. The genome, yelping with shock and pain, collapsed to the floor. Ares took his chance and ran in the direction of the isolated settlement of the Cleyrans.

Zidane sat up and pulled out most of the needles, "Gah! Blast it! That was one of Quinas abilities." He said. He then realised that Ares was getting away, "Oh no you don't! Fight like a man, you coward!" he yelled after him before giving chase. He soon caught up with him and Ares soon noticed him. "Grrrr! Man, he's persistent!" he cursed. Suddenly, the sinister aliens face lit up, "_Hehe, I got an idea..."_ he plotted, secretly. Then, Ares stopped which made Zidane stop as well and formed a fighting stance. "So. You're finally ready to fight?" asked Zidane, eagerly. Ares chuckled, "Not exactly." He replied, "Huh?" said Zidane, confused. Ares grinned, and then tensed up and formed a flame in the palm of his right hand. Zidane took a couple of steps back, _"What's he up to?"_ he thought. Their positions remained fixed for a few moments until Ares clenched his fist and launched a ray of blazing flames, from his hand, into the sand between them. On contact, the flames formed a ring with a giant X in the middle. Zidane started to sweat, mostly because of the heat, but also with nerves. The sand was so hot that it became glass. Then, Ares spread his arms out and yelled out: "Come fourth! Ifrit! Demon of the Flaming Underworld!" Zidane's eyes widened, "Oh crap! Summon Magic!" he cried.

Suddenly, cracks started to appear in the ground. The cracks grew across the boiling hot surface of the desert until the glass shattered and revealed a chasm with a huge light within it that was giving off immense heat. Then, concealed within a transparent ball of energy, came the fiery eidolon, Ifrit, from below. It burst out from its scorching hot bubble, sealed up the hole in the ground and landed between Zidane and Ares. The beast rose up and gave deafening roar to demonstrate its might. The shockwaves from its bellow shook the whole desert. "Oh man. Now what? I've gotta fight that? An eidolon!? But that's suicide!" he complained. Ifrit calmed down and stood before Zidane in a hunched position that was a sign of great mass. Zidane gulped, _"I sure wish Dagger was here right now..."_ he though, in horror. "Ifrit! Your target is the boy with a tail in front of you. I don't care how you do it, just kill him." He ordered the beast. He grinned at Zidane, "Have fun, Tribal" he said, smugly before continuing his marathon towards Cleyra.

In an instant, Ifrit leaped towards Zidane, ready to attack him. "Whoa!" cried Zidane as he dived out of the way. However, the eidolon span round as fast as the speed of light and struck Zidane with his huge claws. Zidane went crashing to the ground and before he knew it, Ifrit was charging at him again. The flaming monster dropped him foot down of Zidane, who jumped out of the way at the last second. Ifrit the threw his fists down at Zidane, but he thankfully rolled to dodge. Then, Ifrit launched a barrage of melee attacks at him. Zidane mimicked his last move and rolled to avoid them all. Suddenly, the teenage genome picked himself up and propelled himself towards Ifrits head and slashed his face with his daggers when he was close enough. The eidolon roared in pain while Zidane followed up by stabbing it in the neck, which resulted with another bellow of agony. Then, Zidane jumped down and stood firm before the blazing god of fire. "Although he is a guardian of this planet, I reckon I'm in with a chance to beat this guy." He stated and prepared himself for the next round.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Zidane vs. Ifrit

A few miles away from the isolated settlement of Cleyra, in its surrounding dunes, the eidolon Ifrit roared with might and attacked young genome Zidane with a variety of fire magic spells. Zidane either defended against or was hit by such spells. The fiery demon and the monkey-tailed hero seemed to be evenly matched in this conflict with Zidane's sharp senses and agile movements holding out against Ifrits infernal strength and bulky muscles.

Ifrit clawed at Zidane, but the genome dodged, ran up his arm and slashed his foe in the face. Though damaging, Ifrit quickly recovered from the attack and countered by heaving Zidane with his large, golden horns that protruded from his head. The thief was sent hurling through the scorching sand that burned his face on contact. Zidane yelped and quickly jumped to his feet, "OW! Man, that stuff burns!" he cried, rubbing his cheek. He looked up to find Ifrit running towards him at incredible speeds, roaring every step of the way. Zidane gripped his daggers tightly and braced himself for the eidolons attack. Ifrit spat a fireball at him, Zidane ducked to avoid it but gasped when he saw the fire god coughing up a second barrage of flaming globes.

"Oh boy..." he said. Without any form of planning, Zidane charged forward, strafing from left to right in an attempt to dodge the blasts. As he advanced further, the fireballs drew dangerously close to Zidane, so near they were that he could feel the immense heat that each one was giving off. With a huge wave of quick thinking and sharp moves, Zidane avoided every single fireball. His victory was short lived, however, when Ifrit himself casted a Firaga spell on the genome, who sustained heavy damage. The master thief plummeted to the ground, grunting with pain. He instantly noticed that he had a burn on his right arm. Zidane rolled around in the sand to extinguish the remaining embers that still lingered on his clothes.

"Aahh! Ah! Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot!" he panted as he rolled from side to side. In the corner of his eye, he saw Ifrit had leaped into the air and was approaching him from above with his claws at the ready. As quick as a flash, Zidane rose to his knees and dived to the right, just avoiding Ifrits manoeuvre. The genome countered by burying the blades of his daggers into Ifrits hand, which resulted in the eidolon roaring out loud as Zidane removed his steel and blood poured out of Ifrits hand. The thief back flipped a few times to distance himself from his towering opponent, who was still wailing aloud. Zidane wiped the sweat from his forehead whilst panting out of relieve for his narrow escape.

Meanwhile, Ares was climbing Cleyra's Trunk. The alien was still injured from his and Zidane's last battle out at sea. Blood continued to seep out of the wounds on his back that left red trail in the golden sand. "I gotta find something or somebody..... fast." He said, dazed from the loss of so much blood. Everything seemed like a blur in his eyes, like the heat had gone to his head. He kept trudging through the thick sand, struggling to keep his balance, until suddenly; a pair of Carrion Worms emerged from the ground in front of him, Dragonflies appeared over his head ready to swoop down at him, Sand Scorpions came out from behind the large branches of the tree and Sand Golems rose from the depths of the sea of yellow grit. Anyone else would be terrified beyond comprehension, but Ares looked up and grinned, looking intently at all the creatures that surrounded him and were willing to attack him at any moment. He started to chuckled under his breath, "Hehehe, snack time." He said to himself. Then, in the blinking of an eye, he unleashed his everlastingly hungry tentacles from his hands.

Outside, Zidane was still in a struggle with Ifrit. The giant fire demon threw punches and magic at the genome. Zidane retaliated with his daggers, swallow blade and skills like Thievery and Lucky Seven. He wasn't very lucky though. Our hero was doing surprisingly well in this epic duel between him and the god of fire. Then, Ifrit stopped fighting. Zidane stood wary of his foe, "What's he up to?" he said. He tightened his grip on his daggers. Ifrit then roared so loud that the ground shook. Zidane struggled to stay on two feet. "Oh man. What's going on now!? I've got a bad feeling about this." He said. All of a sudden Ifrits fist became engulfed in flames. He raised his arm and violently launched his arm at the ground. A few seconds later, the ground beneath Zidane cracked then exploded with a raging inferno. "Aaaaaaggggghhhhhh!" he cried as he went soaring through the air due to the force of Ifrits attack. We he finally hit the floor; Zidane went skidding through the sand, leaving a huge trench in the sand behind him.

After a few seconds of laying face down in the desert, Zidane slowly struggled to his feet. "Gah! I don't have time for this! For all I know, Ares could be up at the settlement by now! I have to end this fight!" he convinced himself. He turned around and saw Ifrit charging at him, "Geez! Doesn't this guy ever get tired!?" He questioned. The genome's face lit up when an idea came to him. "Ok, if this doesn't get him, nothing will." He said while withdrawing his daggers into their sheaths.

Then, in an act of boldness, he ran straight towards Ifrit. The fire demon was surprised that he recovered so quickly from his Flames Of Hell attack, but it didn't slow him down. The two of them continued to charge towards each other, Zidane's heart was pounding inside his chest, worrying if his plan will work or not. Ifrit suddenly raised his arms, preparing for a finishing blow. "Now!" shouted Zidane, seeing his chance. The genome leaped towards the eidolon and channelled his strength into his fist. There was nothing that Ifrit could to avoid or block against him. The Zidane slammed his fist into the fire god's stomach, forcing himself further forward. The demon wailed in pain and tightened his gut in an attempt to counter Zidane's efforts. The genome kept forcing his fist into the monsters stomach until he flew straight through his torso. Ifrit wailed out in agony as Zidane left a hole where his stomach used to be. Zidane, covered in blood, landed a few feet behind his adversary. He lay there motionless for a few moments before he climbed to his elbows and looked behind him. He saw the god of fire screaming in pain with a hole in his stomach where Zidane ploughed through him.

After a look of shock, Zidane smiled with relief, "Got him..." he muttered before collapsing into the sand out of exhaustion. The eidolon roared so loud that even deaf people would notice. He fell to his knees as blood trickled down his legs, through his thick fur. He started to calm down as he began to fade way. He grunted and bellowed until he had completely vanished: Ares' Ifrit was no more...

Hours later, Zidane's eyes fluttered open. His vision was blurred but he had regained his strength. Slowly, he climbed to his feet. His hair was stuck to his face with sweat from the intense heat; the cool breeze coming from Cleyra's sandstorm was a gift from the heavens for him at this point. He came round eventually and rubbed his eyes, "Oh man..... How long was out?" he thought. He looked ahead of him and saw the giant twister of sand that surrounded Cleyra's giant tree. Zidane's eyes widened and he gasped with shock, "Dammit! Ares! How far has he got!? He'll of made it to the top by now!" he said to himself, angrily. He took off towards Cleyra, for the final showdown with Ares.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Ares the Terrible

Zidane dashed across the desert towards Cleyra. As he got closer, he could feel the huge winds of its guardian sandstorm. It was like an enormous twister that isolated the tree form the rest of civilisation. Zidane could only hope that his new rival hadn't reached the top yet. "No sandstorm will keep Ares at bay." He said to himself. The sun maintained its boiling glow in the sky, its rays shone down on Zidane as he hurried across the desolate wasteland. Skeletons and Lizard Men still roamed nearby, but none would dare challenge Zidane. They could sense that he was in a hurry and didn't want to lose their lives for a meaningless cause, so they kept well away from the genome.

It wasn't long before Zidane reached the entrance. He was stopped however by the sandstorm; it was still too violent to pass through. "Dammit! Guess I'll have to wait for a chance to get through." He accepted. He maintained a stance that he could quickly resume his sprint from when the sandstorm would let him enter Cleyra's Trunk. Minutes passed and still there was no chance to enter, "Oh c'mon! I'm only trying to save the planet here! Let me pass!" he yelled. Suddenly, the area of the sandstorm that Zidane was standing before opened up, allowing him to continue. Zidane's face held an expression of both astonishment and confusion. "Ok, this sandstorm will open up if you rail on it? And here I thought I'd see it all!" he muttered to himself, before taking his chance and rushing forward into the giant tree.

The young genome opened the first door and immediately noticed that no monsters were present, "Oh no, this isn't good...." he said, filled with worry, "I just hope that he's still here..." he added. He continued climbing stairs and opening doors. Sand was everywhere, just like that last time he was there. "Hmm, to say it's a new tree, it hasn't changed much from the old one." He said, "Everything looks the same." He added. As he continued to climb, he noticed the sand pits and waterfalls of sand that filled them up. "Well, it's no surprise that Cleyra had a lot of windows." He said trying to cheer himself up. He arrived at an open area with a sign that said 'Cleyra'. Suddenly, he heard Ares laughing. Zidane sighed with relief, "Good! Sounds like he's still here. But at this moment in time, I'm not quite sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing..." he sighed, cautiously. The evil laugh echoed from all round him. Zidane drew his daggers and joined them to form his swallow blade. "C'mon out Ares! Show yourself!" he demanded. "Right here, Tribal!" a voice said behind him. Zidane quickly turned around and saw a completely healed Ares standing a few feet away from him, with that same sinister grin resting on his lips.

"So, how was your little tangle with Ifrit? I bet it's pretty unusual fighting an eidolon." He asked. Zidane smiled, "A bit. But he's as good as dead now." He stated. Ares chuckled, "Well done, Tribal! Just what I expected from a fighter like you! You sure took your time though! I've been waiting here for ages!" he shouted. Zidane gasped, "You mean you haven't been to the top yet?" he questioned. The alien smirked, "No. Not yet. You see Zidane; you've been so much fun. I thought I'd give you the honour of being killed by me before anyone else." He replied."So, I gobbled up all the monsters that came for me, and boy there was a lot, and waited here for you. I almost lost hope and thought that Ifrit had finished you off." He said. Zidane readied his sword, "Fat chance! I guess you could say that your scheme had a few 'holes' in it, hehe." He chuckled, "This is it, Ares! I'm putting an end to you and your evil ways, right here, right now! I've had enough of dealing with your crap!" Yelled Zidane. Ares cackled, "Yeah right! I've lived for thousands of years, absorbing life forms and planets into my being to become the ultimate fighter in all of creation! And I'll be damned if I meet my end at the hands of a filthy monkey!!!!" he cursed at him.

Ares suddenly charged Zidane and threw his fist at him with devastating force. Zidane held his arm out in front of him to block the attack. When the aliens punch struck Zidane's arm, the power of his attack knocked him back. "GEEZ! That made my arm go numb!" he complained. Ares readied a kick, "I love blood and violence!!!" he shouted before launching his leg at Zidane and hitting him in the stomach. Winded, the young genome plummeted to the floor, unable to make any kind of noise. His mouth was gaping open and his pupils shrunk out of shock. When he finally caught his breath, he hopped to his feet, breathing heavily and coughing. "(Cough, cough) Oh man.... (Cough) that move knocked the breath out of me!" he panted. He looked around to find Ares missing, "_Now_ where is he!?" he questioned. Suddenly, the alien appeared behind him out of nowhere with his hands joined together, ready to strike him. "I've got a boner for murder!" he cried before throwing his hands at him and slamming them into the back of Zidane's head. The young genome was sent hurling through the air, wailing in agony.

He hit the ground with a loud thud. He moaned with pain as he lifted himself up with his arms and spat up a bit of blood. "Aaarrgghh! He's tougher than before! I can't let him win..." he whispered to himself. Ares appeared behind him, "C'mon, Tribal, get up! I'm not done with you yet! I had so many other plans for making you suffer!" he told him. Zidane quickly rose up and slashed Ares across the face with his swallow blade. Blood trickled out of the cut on his face and he grinded his teeth together, "You'll pay for that!" he yelled. Zidane kneed him in the gut, which made him make an 'ooft' sound, leaped into the air and planned an aerial assault on his enemy. However, Ares quickly recovered and raised his hands up at Zidane, "Blizzaja!" he chanted. Suddenly, Zidane was struck by several giant icicles' from all directions, each one causing immense freezing damage. Frost appeared in his hair and on his clothes and he descended to the ground. Before he hit the branch of the tree below him, Ares slammed his knee into his stomach, dragged him through the air and smashed him into the wall, which made Zidane scream out in agony and cough up more blood. Ares grinded his knee further into his stomach and enjoyed every second of it, displaying his evil grin on his face again.

After a few moments of torturing Zidane, Ares dropped his knee and let Zidane fall to the floor, almost lifelessly. He did nothing more that breath and twitch occasionally. Ares gazed down at him in disgust, "So _you're_ the brave Zidane Tribal who saved this planet from Kuja? What a joke! You're nothing more than a dirty primate!" he said to him, "Look at how pathetic you are: unable to stand and fight me, your enemy, I'm ashamed to even call you that. Your no match against my power." He added. Zidane slowly lifted his head, "I...its n-not... your power. Y-You stole it.... by taking...i-innocent....lives..." he uttered, painfully. Ares frowned at the genome. Then, he lifted his foot and stamped down on Zidane's head. The genome cried out in pain as the evil alien grinded his foot down on his head. Blood poured down Zidane's face; he was powerless to stop him. He continued to wail out loud in agony, much to Ares amusement as he chuckled as he pressed his foot down on his head. Then, he lifted his foot off of him, "You misunderstand, Tribal. There all a part of greatness now; I've given them all a purpose." He exclaimed. Still, panting with pain, Zidane looked up at Ares, "Y-You monster!" he cursed. Ares grinned at him then kicked him in the side of the stomach to a branch lower down. "Hmph! Kuja _deserved_ to die if he was killed by a weakling like you!" he stated.

Ares ascended and hovered in the air, "This isn't a fairy tale, Tribal. This isn't a story that ends with the words 'And they lived happily ever after'. No! This is real life! The real thing! And in reality, EVERYTHING DIES!!!!" he yelled before flooding the trunk with his evil. Zidane lay on the ground, hardly able to move. Ares clenched his fists and laughed in triumph, "Now, Tribal, experience what it's like to lose! All things will meet a painful end: the land, the sea, the wind, the animals and even the people! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" cackled the alien as he spread his negative force through the tree. Small branches started to crumble and the surrounding sandstorm faded away. "Ahahahahah! Yes, YES!! I can feel the tree dying beneath me!" he laughed. His evil cackle echoed throughout the whole tree.

Zidane, still drained of strength had almost given up hope. He hardly had the strength to prop himself up with his arms. "Grr! It's hopeless..." he admitted and slumped to the floor. Then, a little bird landed beside him. He slowly turned his head and saw that the bird was suffocating, "No..." he whispered. Then, the bird slowly and painfully died. Seeing the bird suffer made Zidane snap. He couldn't hold his anger back anymore as it started to consume him. "No... It didn't... do anything wrong...." he said, experiencing a huge surge of emotion. He climbed to his feet, gently picked up the bird and held it in his hand. A tear rolled down his cheek as he remembered Chimomo, his little moogle friend that Ares killed in cold blood. Zidane grinded his teeth together, "It's just the same... Nothing's changed! It... just.... isn't... FAAAAAIIIIIIRRRRRRR!!!!!!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. On the word 'fair', Zidane became engulfed in a bright light. Its bright shining rays dissolved all of the negative energy that was poisoning the tree. Ares gazed down at Zidane, "What's this?" he said, intrigued by the view of the light. Zidane continued to scream out loud, his voice echoed all over the desert outside.

Suddenly, Zidane stopped screaming and the burst of light disappeared. The genome held out his hand and, with a gleam of yellow light, gave the little bird its life back. It rose up and flew away. The bird flew past Ares who was motionless and looking downat Zidane. "What's going on!? He's different! He's changed!" he claimed. The genomes body was covered in glowing purple fur and his clothes had disappeared. The bobble that held his ponytail had burnt up and his hair was flowing freely and also glowing purple colour. Zidane looked up and revealed the hatred in his eyes. He firmly held his swallow blade as he glared at Ares. The alien stared at Zidane in awe as he descended down to his level. His eyes were wide open, never blinking and struck with fear, "So _this_ is Trance..." he muttered.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Zidane's Revenge

Ares stood astonished in front of Zidane, who had induced a complete Trance through the hatred for his foe. The fur on Zidane's body that had replaced his clothes glowed a deep purple colour; his hair had also turned purple and was flowing in the wind that his power was creating. He held his swallow blade in his left hand, tightly. His tail remained still at a left-ward curve. The genome glared at the alien with eyes filled with intense anger, not making a sound. Both warriors remained locked in an epic stalemate, until Ares finally broke the silence.

"Hmmmm, impressive, Tribal. In my whole life, I've never witnessed a transformation like this. It really is a sight worth seeing." He exclaimed. Zidane said nothing. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? Hehe." Chuckled Ares. "Shove it!" insulted Zidane. Ares gasped a little out of surprise, and then he started chuckling again, "Ha ha ha, a cheeky one, I see." He said. "However, as great as your strength is, you still can't beat me." He said, confidently. Zidane raised an eyebrow, "Do you want to put that to the test?" he asked. "My pleasure!" yelled Ares as he charged at him. Zidane braced himself and blocked Ares' punch, much to his surprise. Determined to win, the evil alien launched a barrage of punches and kicks at the genome, who managed to defend, avoid and counter them equally. As the struggle continued, Ares grew more and more irritated when Zidane started to dodge all of his attacks, one by one, with ease. Ares stepped back, "GRRAAAAHHHH! Why do my attacks always miss you!" he shouted in anger. Zidane gave a cheeky smirk. "Grrr, damn you!" he yelled before he tried, fruitlessly, to hit his opponent.

The struggle lasted for another few minutes before they separated and faced each other, with about three meters between them. Ares was panting, trying to catch his breath, while Zidane stood strong, seemingly unaffected by the lighting fast manoeuvres he had just performed. The anger was still in his facial expression. Then, Ares calmed down, smiled cunningly and started to giggle insanely. Zidane's expression didn't change. "Well, you sure are something, Tribal. You're an exceptional warrior, that's been proven. But..... Let's see how you fair against me when I fight at full strength." He remarked. Zidane continued to glare at him in full confidence. Suddenly, Ares tensed up and started to grunt as he increased his strength. His grunting lead to yells and his yells lead to screams as he powered up. His muscles increased in size, they made his clothes seem too small for him. The tree started to tremble under the pressure of his strength. The remaining native animals became so terrified that they buried themselves into the sand.

Then, Ares calmed down; he was now at his full strength. "Aahh. You should be honoured. It's is incredibly rare that I have to do this to win a battle." He explained, "So, what do you think, Tribal? Are you impressed by what you see?" he added in a confident tone. Zidane remained silent for a few seconds, inspecting his body and working out how strong he was. Then, he looked into the powered up aliens eyes, "............ Is that _all_ you've got?" he asked him. Ares gasped with amazement, with an eyebrow raised. He went back to laughing again shortly after though. "Hahaha! Nice try, Tribal! But your bluffs won't work on me. Don't think I don't know your game; you're trying to trick me into thinking that you're stronger, well it won't work. I've come across thousands like you, and they've all failed and died a painful death. Nothing you do will ever-GUUAAAHHH!" before Ares could finish his sentence, Zidane proved his theory false by rushing forward and embedding his fist deep into the aliens stomach with unbelievable force, all in one second flat. Ares' eyes bulged out of his head with tiny pupils, his mouth was gaping open and froth ran down his chin, he was unable to make a sound because of the pain.

The position was held for a few seconds before Zidane pulled his fist back. Ares started to slowly take steps backwards, hunched over and holding his stomach; his face was still displaying sheer shock and pain. The froth that seeped out of his mouth was dribbling all over the branch of Cleyra's Trunk that they stood on. Zidane smirked at his flabbergasted enemy. Ares grinded his teeth together in an unspeakable amount of rage. He screamed at Zidane and raised his fist to strike him. But before he had a chance to move, Zidane leaped up and kneed him in the chin, hard. The force of the impact made is head shake as he landed on all fours, trembling after suffering the amount of damage that Zidane threw at him. The young genome landed in front of Ares and watched him painfully climb to his feet only to fall to his knees, unable to stand up. The alien tried again to stand upright, but ended up falling backwards, sitting on the branch and holding himself up with his hands. Ares spat up blood that splattered on his black vest top. Eventually, he climbed to his feet and hunched forward to stay on his feet. He looked at Zidane in horror, terrified of his incredible strength, "This....... C-Can't be....!" he uttered. Zidane stood side-on, still giving Ares a hateful glare. Terror sweat trickled down Ares' face, "He only had two blows on me..... So.... why am I so...... s-so damaged!?" he questioned, painfully.

Suddenly, Zidane tensed up. Ares took a step back, unable to blink. "Ares! I said before that would _never_ let you harm this planet's inhabitants! Watch and learn, this is the REAL Stellar Circle 5!" he shouted. He waved his blade and lunged his hand forward. Then, the energy tornado appeared around Ares and sucked him into its vortex, the alien was screaming every second. After a few moments, Ares was thrown into air with such force that he smashed straight through one of the branches. The alien crash landed on a surface within the tree that was covered in sand. His blood gushed out of his wounds and stained the sand a deep red colour. He got to his feet and Zidane appeared before him yet again. Ares yelped in fear started to back away from him. Zidane tensed up again and performed another technique on him. "Solution 9!" he chanted. Zidane fired tribal patterns at Ares, which exploded on contact. The alien screamed out loud in agony and stumbled backwards and noticed that a stream of sand was a few feet behind him. The stream led to an enormous sand pit to Ares' left-hand side and Zidane's right-hand side. He looked back at the genome and saw him tensing up again.

"NO! Tribal! You can't!" he pleaded. Zidane grinded his teeth together, "Yes I can Ares! If I let you live, you'll just come back again after taking more innocent lives! I WON'T let it go on!" he yelled. Ares was trembling with fear, "W-wait! Hold on!" cried Ares, attempting to talk his way out of the situation. Zidane, however, was far too disgusted by his evil ways to listen, and he lunged his hands forward, "THIS IS FOR CHIMOMO: GRAND LETHAL!" he screamed. The attack covered Ares with sand and badly damaged him, but he still lived. Zidane frowned while Ares chuckled, "Hehe, I'm still here." Teased Ares. "Oh yeah!?" cried Zidane. With that, the genome charged forward and impaled Ares' stomach with his swallow blade, which made his scream out with pain. Zidane and Ares' faces were millimetres apart. The alien's blood was spewing from his mouth as the blade pierced his stomach and emerged from his lower back. Zidane looked him in the eye and uttered the words; "Hasta La Vista, baby." Ares stared at him in horror. The genome channelled all of his energy into his blade, which created a huge shockwave that vaporised half of Ares stomach and sent him flying into the stream of sand behind him, "Curse........ YYYOOOOOOOUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!" screamed Ares as he was engulfed by the sand, fell into the giant sand pit and was buried underneath the sand.

Zidane returned to his normal state and collapsed on the floor, exhausted after using up all of his strength. He looked up and saw streaks of light flittering down from above. He was dazed from the loss of energy but managed to raise a smile on his lips, "I won......." he muttered in relief that the battle was over. Then, Zidane managed to sit up slightly and looked over the edge into the sand pit and he watched as the remains of Ares' lifeless body was swallowed up by the infinite grains of sand. Zidane started to laugh with his powerful victory, "I DID IT!!!!!" he cried out before falling onto his back. He finally relaxed having won the battle. _"Chimomo...... I've won your revenge.... I'm so sorry that your life had to end that way..."_ he thought, remembering his moogle friend.

The tree was completely silent, no monsters were in sight and Zidane lay on the ground and started to go to sleep. He cleared his mind of thoughts and drifted into a well deserved slumber. Before he completely went though, he heard some gentle voices: "Look, over here! It's him!" said a voice that echoed through Zidane's mind, "Yes! It _is_ him! It's the same person who helped protect us from the siege." Said another. "He holds allegiance with Lady Freya. Come. We must take him back to the settlement...." continued the first voice before all of surrounding sounds were cut off from Zidane's mind as he entered a deep sleep. He detached himself from reality as he rested and savoured his victory; Ares, the scourge of reality, had been destroyed.

Or _had _he?


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Dagger! I'm coming home!"

Zidane slowly started to wake up after his long sleep. His eye sight was a blur and he was still a bit sore in some places. His eyes fluttered open and he steadily sat up. He rubbed his lightly throbbing head, and then was surprised at his surroundings when his sight came back to him; he was in a bed! "Huh!? How did I get here?" he questioned. Zidane looked around and after a brief inspection, he recognised his current environment. "I'm at Cleyra's inn! But how?" he further pondered. Suddenly, he heard faint footsteps in the background which got louder as time passed, _"Someone's coming!"_ he thought. He braced himself for the anonymous person who was approaching him from downstairs, but fell back into the pillows when a sharp pain struck his stomach. "Ugh... I'm still not fully recovered yet..." he admitted.

A shadow appeared at the top of the staircase. The footsteps were loud and clear at this point. Zidane started sweat a little; he was expecting anyone to come up from those stairs. _Anyone_. Then, an anthropomorphic rodent emerged from the stairs; it was a Cleyran. Zidane sighed with relief, "Oh thank god..." he whispered as he relaxed. The Cleyran smiled with astonishment, "Oh. You are awake, Sir Zidane." He said. Zidane raised an eyebrow, "Sir? Why are you calling me sir?" he asked. "Well, why would people _not_ refer to you as sir?" he replied. "Forget it, tell me later. Listen, I have no idea who you are or how I got here, but I am so glad that your you!" sighed Zidane. The Cleyran looked confused, "Huh? What do you mean?" he asked, "What? N-Never mind" stated Zidane, "So, how did I get here?" he added. "Can you walk as far as the cathedral?" he asked. Zidane nodded. "Alright then. I will take you to the High Priest; he will tell you what you need to know. Please, follow me." Asked the Cleyran, politely. Zidane followed him out of the inn.

They walked outside and Zidane looked around. Everything looked exactly as it did before it was destroyed. "Gee, how did you get this place back to normal so quickly?" asked Zidane. "We used the power of our magic stone to restore the tree and the Burmecians aided us in rebuilding the settlement." Answered the Cleyran. Also, the village seemed a lot more prosperous than before. Children played happily in the open areas and their parents stood in the background, enjoying the sun's rays. Then, two female Cleyrans saw Zidane, "Everyone! Look! Sir Zidane has awoken!" they called out. Everyone then turned to see the young genome, who blushed a little when they all started to crowd around him. They were asking him questions and children wanted to shake his hand. "Man, don't tell me I'm _this_ popular all around the world...." he mumbled. Then, the Cleyran who was guiding Zidane interrupted them, "Everyone, please. Sir Zidane has only just woken up and is on his way to see the High Priest. Please give him some space; I'm sure that he is still worn out." He ordered. They all started to calm down and respectfully backed away from Zidane, realising their selfishness.

Zidane sighed with relief, "Shall we continue, Sir Zidane?" asked his guide. Zidane gave him a slight glare, "Can you stop with the whole 'sir' thing!? I don't like it. Sir Zidane this, Sir Zidane that, it's irritating. Just call me Zidane, ok?" he ranted. "M-My apologies. I just thought that.... Never mind. Let us continue, Sir Zidane." He said. Zidane's head dropped, _"Oh man. I don't think I'll ever get used to this."_ He thought. They continued to the cathedral and soon arrived there. The Cleyran led Zidane inside the main chamber, were Freya once helped with the ceremony to strengthen the then-sandstorm. It was a perfect rendition of the cathedral that Queen Brahne wiped out with eidolon Odin. Over by the harp was a female Cleyran sitting on a stool, with the magic stone above the harp, as before. There were a few more Cleyrans, male and female, near the balcony. In the middle of the room was the Cleyran High Priest. Zidane's guide stepped forward, "Your holiness, Sir Zidane has awoken." He informed, bowing to the High Priest. At the mention of the genomes name, all the Cleyrans who were in the room, immediately looked in their direction with wide open eyes. The High Priest looked behind the guide and saw Zidane, strong and healthy. At this sight, the High Priests face lit up with joy.

"Sir Zidane! Sir Zidane! Oh, how happy we are to learn that you still breathe to this very day!" he laughed, jogging up to Zidane and shaking his hand. Zidane groaned, annoyed with being called 'sir' by everyone. Everyone in to room cheered Zidane, "Sir Zidane still lives!" cried one, "Our hero has returned!" cried another. Zidane raised an eye brow, "Hey! Whoa! What the heck is going on!? How am I a 'hero'? And why are people calling me 'sir'!?" he yelled, demanding answers. The High Priest laughed, "Oh I'm sure that you have many questions, Sir Zidane. We will be happy to tell you what we can answer. But first, we have a fine feast waiting for you. We suspected that you would be hungry." He explained. "Huh? Food?" questioned Zidane just before his stomach gurgled loud enough for everyone to hear, "Hehe, I guess I _am_ pretty hungry." He admitted, grinning. Then, the High Priest signalled one of his servants and they pulled out a large trolley stacked with all kinds of gourmet dishes. Zidane's eyes bulged from his head and he started drooling. "Oh boy! This is what I call service!" he said. Two more Cleyrans brought out a table and set it down in front of him, a third placed a chair behind him and sat the genome down. "Please, dig in, Sir Zidane. This is all for you." Said the High Priest. Zidane licked his lips as they brought him a couple of dishes of food. As he gorged himself, he presented terrible table manners, scoffing every bit of food off the plates with no breaks.

The Cleyrans could only stare in awe as Zidane ate every last bit of food from the whole trolley. He picked up the last dish, filled with soup and slurped it all up. He put the dish down and belched loudly, "Aahh... Man, I sure was hungry. I am _so _full!" he stated. The High Priest leaned over to one of the other Cleyrans, "How much food was there?" he whispered, "Just over 20 courses, your holiness." He answered. "My word! He certainly has a big appetite." He remarked. Zidane wiped his face with a serviette and stood up, "Now then. Let's get down to some serious talking, shall we?" he asked. "Erm... O-Of course." Said the High Priest, still amazed at how much Zidane was able to eat. "First things first: How come everyone is calling me 'sir' Zidane?" he asked, The High Priest smiled, "Well, it would be disrespectful otherwise. After what you and your friends achieved, all of Gaia knows who you all are." He replied, Zidane pondered for a moment, "Huh, I guess so. But still, can you just call me Zidane. Please? I don't like being called 'sir'" he explained. The High Priest nodded, "As you wish. Zidane." He said. The genome sighed with relief, "Finally...." he whispered. "Is there anything else you would like to know?"Asked the High Priest. "Plenty...." stated Zidane.

"So, how did I get here?" asked Zidane, "Well, we heard noises coming from the trunk and we started to panic when the sandstorm disappeared, yet again. So, I sent two Cleyrans to see what was happening down below. When they came back, they were carrying you and they said that they watched you fighting a cataclysmic battle with an unidentified warrior. Who _were_ you fighting down there?" asked the High Priest. Zidane smiled, warmly. "It doesn't matter. There's no need to worry about him. He's dead." He exclaimed. "Well, we are relieved that you won. Was he a rival of yours?" asked the Priest. "Kind of. If he had won, he would have plagued the world." Explained Zidane. "It sounds like you stopped him in his boldest assault, and saved us all once again. We are very grateful. Was it him who tried to drain the tree of its life?" asked the High Priest. "Yeah. But it's ok now. I made sure of that." Answered Zidane, "So everyone is alright up here?" he added. The Priest nodded, "Yes, the citizens of Cleyra are all fine. There was a scare, but you saved us, Zidane. We thank you." He said, while he and all the other Cleyrans bowed before Zidane, who slightly blushed, "Aw. You're all too kind." He said, smiling.

"Well, I'd love to stay here a little longer, but I have to get going. I've got a promise to keep." He said. "Very well, Zidane. We will supply you with what you need before you leave. And there's one other thing." The Priest said. "Really? What is it?" asked Zidane. The High Priest went up to the harp, collected the jewel on top of it and handed it to Zidane. "Please take this. We do not have what is necessary to restore the stones power for it to bring back the sandstorm. We want you to take and get it in the hands of someone who knows how to revitalize it. The shockwaves of your battle below must have drained all of its power." He explained. Zidane took the jewel in his hand, "Don't worry. I'll help get your sandstorm back." He said, "Well, be seeing you!" he called as he set of out of the building. The Cleyrans waved him as he exited the cathedral, "Farewell, Zidane! We wish you luck on your trails!" The High Priest called back.

Zidane stopped at one of the Cleyrans, stocked up on supplies and left the settlement after a quick interaction with Cleyra's inhabitants. The genome climbed down the ladder and headed down the trunk. Meanwhile, back at the cathedral, one of the Cleyrans approached the High Priest, "Your holiness. Where do you think Sir Zidane is headed?" he asked. "I assume he is going to Alexandria to be reunited with Queen Garnet." He answered. "Well, if that's the case, do you think we should have told him? About......... that?" indicated the Cleyran. The High Priest suddenly remembered, "Oh my! I completely forgot about that! I'm afraid it's too late to tell him now, though. He's already climbing down the trunk. I guess he'll have to get there to find out. The hard way...." he said.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Old Friends

Zidane jumped down from the ladder and jogged down the path, still covered in sand even though the sand storm had subsided. The whole time, all he could think about was Garnet, his Dagger. After receiving nothing more than a dreadful battle for survival after waking up from his coma, his heart pounded in his chest merely at the thought of her. He remembered when they first met, outside the royal chamber in Alexandria Castle. She was wearing a white mage robe over her memorable orange jumpsuit. He could never forget the butterflies in his stomach that he felt upon peering inside her hood and laying his eyes on her beauty.

Zidane thought about what she said after he lost himself on Terra, his birthplace. The long lost home he spent his whole life searching for, but never found it. He reminisced what she said to him and the happiness he felt. Hearing Daggers comforting words, which still make him tingle to this day, was one of the best experiences that his ears ever withheld. He suddenly ground to a halt, "Man. That seems so long ago now...." he pondered. The genome then continued his journey, except he did so by walking instead of running. He remembered what she said to him when they separated in front if the Iifa Tree. He made a promise to her that he would come back to her, "I'm so sorry Dagger...... I'm sorry that I broke my promise." He said, as if he was speaking to her in spirit.

He soon became lost in thought for a while, filled with concern and curiosity of what his friends had done to fill up the year that he had been away. Daggers, Steiner's, Beatrix's and Freya's were clear, even for him. _"I bet Freya is helping rebuild Burmecia with her people. She went through a tough time with them, but I'm sure she'll manage fine. She's a strong woman. Still, I think she'll always have a deep pain inside. With the whole Sir Fratley thing..."_ he thought. He started to pick up his pace again, though he was still moving at a steady speed.

He continued thinking to himself. _"Obviously, Steiner will have stayed with Dagger. But, it's his job. And what a job to have: protecting the greatest girl the world has ever seen! I bet he'll have scored with Beatrix by now. Man, he was sooooo in love with her!"_ he thought, laughing to himself. "_I wonder what happened to everyone else. Vivi, Eiko, Amarant and Quina. I wonder what they've done with their lives." _He thought.

Suddenly, he perked up, "No.... I haven't broken my promise. I still here aren't I? I'll get back to you Dagger, as long as there is breath in my body, I _will_ return to you! And I know _just_ how to do it...." he planned. His light jog burst out into a run. He sprinted down the paths and skimmed down the slopes and, in no time, he was at the base of Cleyra. He rushed out of the entrance, which was as clear as day now that the sand storm had vanished. Zidane headed across the mainland towards the Gizamaluke Grotto. "Next stop: Lindblum!" he declared.

He entered the Grotto and passed the area where he, Vivi, Freya and Quina were forced to kill Master Gizamaluke. "Bad memories." Remarked Zidane before rushing across the chamber and entering the room with the giant bell. It hadn't moved since that moogle lifted it up. He saw the room where the moogle couple had ran off to, ".... I.... don't think I'll go see them." He said, remembering what they were like: crazy. He carried on through the Grotto, and soon reached the other end. He took in a deep breath of fresh air. He looked around and spotted the Dragons Gate far in the distance. "Hmm, it's kind of a long way. I know!" he said. Zidane pulled some Gysahl Greens and whistled for Choco, his chocobo friend.

"Kweh!" he heard in the distance. He looked to his left and saw the big, golden feathered bird running over to him. "Hey, Choco!" he called. As soon as the chocobo arrived, Zidane stroked its fine feathers and tickled him under his neck. "Haha, did you miss me boy? Who's a good boy? _Who's_ a good boy? You are!" he said, playing around with Choco. The bird replied with a big happy squawk. He held out the Gysahl Greens and allowed his friend to graze before he jumped on his back. "Alright! Let's go, Choco, my old mate! WOOHOO!" he cried in an upbeat manner. The big bird started to run towards Lindblums Dragon's Gate with incredible speeds. Anticipating that it would be shut tight, he commanded Choco to take to the skies and fly up above the high mountains of the valley.

After landing on the surface, Choco darted to Lindblums main entrance, arriving there shortly after. Zidane dismounted his chocobo friend and allowed him to return to Mene in Chocobo's Forest. He entered his old adoptive home and instantly saw that it had be completely been rejuvenated. It was still crowded with people of all ages, the buildings were as tall as they were before and airships once again travelled in the skies. "_Whoa. I guess Cid has got down to business with the steam engines for airships. They're everywhere!"_ he thought, trying to keep a low profile to avoid a big fuss. People were chatting away at each other and crowding the streets as they used to do all the time when he lived there. He could hear a voice in the background shouting "Fresh Gysahl Pickles! Their delicious!" Zidane looked to his right and saw that the gysahl pickles stall was crowded with people. He smiled at what had become of the stall that everyone once kept clear of; a main tourist attraction.

He continued to look around Lindblum. He discovered that the item shop had been rebuilt, and so had the church. _"Geez... I-I can't believe I'm back here. It's been so long."_ He thought. Zidane made his way back to the air cab station and asked for a trip to the theatre district: it was time to reunite with his brothers in Tantalus.

It was a fast and prompt trip to the theatre district, the air cab didn't have many passengers. During the short ride, he remembered his friend, Chimomo, wishing that he could have enjoyed his company. When he arrived at his destination, he went straight to the hideout. Zidane found it completely rebuilt, "Oh man. This place hasn't changed.... It's just how I remember it." He said as a tear rolled down his cheek. He put on a brave face and entered his childhood home.

The young genome peered round the corner and saw Blank, Marcus, Cinna, Benero, Zenero and Genero sat round the table with cards in their hands. Also, there was an empty chair, presumably where Baku was supposed to be. Zidane couldn't believe it: his brothers were feet away from him. He covered his mouth to avoid drawing attention to himself.

The six thieves sat in silence; Marcus sat hunched over, Blank was resting his head on his arm, Cinna was resting his elbows on the table and the Nero brothers were all sat straight and neatly. None of the said a word and they all looked bored. Blank finally broke the silence, "So, err, how long do you think he'll be?" he asked. "Who knows?" replied Marcus. Cinna grew restless, "That's it, I'm looking at his cards!" he stated, picking up the absent Baku's playing cards and inspecting them for a few seconds. Then, he threw them back down in disappointment, "Dammit, I fold!" he complained. The others chuckled at him, and then suddenly, Baku kicked a door to the side open, pulling his trousers up. "Christ almighty, boss! How long have you been in there!? We were beginning to think that you weren't coming back!" said Blank, "Gwahahahahaha! You guys are just too impatient! Being the greatest master bandit in the world isn't easy you know!" he said, loudly, "A guy's just gotta have his alone time!" he added. "Yeah, thanks boss. Too much information." Remarked Marcus.

Baku zipped his fly and headed back to the table, "Now, you all remember the job we got tomorrow, right!? Oh, hey Zidane." He said normally, just noticing him in the corner of his eye, "We gonna be doing 'I Want To Be Your Canary' again, 'cos, you know, Dagger just loves that play, and it _is_ her birthday bash. So, we gotta put on a show even bigger than ever before!" he shouted, "After the play, I think that knucklehead, Steiner, has organised a big party for the whole of Alexandria, and Regent Cid is gonna be there as well, with his missus, Hilda. All the old gang is gonna be there too. But really, the only thinking we gotta do is before that. I'm gonna KILL you if you don't get your lines right! If that happens, just improvise, and we'll get to the killing later! So you all know your- Huh!? ZIDANE!?" he shouted, suddenly realising that their missing brother was still alive. They all repeated Baku's last word, each with amazement. Zidane stood at the door, laughing his tail off at Baku's slow reaction, "Man! You guys haven't changed one bit!" he said.

"Zidane! I can't believe it! YOU'RE ALIVE!" shouted Marcus, the rest of the crew yelled similar stuff. All seven of them rushed towards him, hugged him and shook his hand. "Wow! This is unbelievable! Zida- Ahem, I mean _Sir_ Zidane-"said Cinna, Zidane suddenly interrupted, "Oh, c'mon! Seriously!?" he said, irritated. They all laughed, "Nah, we're only kidding, bro! But, geez! How are you still alive!? It's been a whole year!" stated Marcus. "I know, I know!" replied Zidane. "Zidane's back!" cried the Nero brothers in unison. The genome smiled, "Hey guys! How've you been!?" he asked, cheerfully. "We've been fine!" replied Benero, "How have _you_ been!?" asked Genero, "We thought you were dead!" said Zenero. "Yeah, Zidane. I mean what the hell!? If you've been alive this whole time, what took you so long to get yer butt back here!?" asked Baku. Zidane scratched his head, "Well, I was in a coma for a while. And when I woke up, there was a.... erm.... disturbance." He replied, trying not to reveal his battles.

"Geez, Zidane! I mean we had your funeral and everything!" informed Blank. Zidane looked at him is slight shock, "What!? You held my funeral?" he asked. "Not just us; the whole world!" stated Baku. More shock appeared on Zidane's face, "WHAAAT!? You mean the whole of Gaia showed up from my funeral!?" he yelled. "Yeah, dude. You're famous! We all gave speeches, so did all your friends too. And I, for one, found them quite moving. Even that Amarant guy had one." Said Marcus, "You were buried in Alexandria." He added. "Buried!? What do you mean 'buried'!? I was inside the Iifa Tree the whole time!" Zidane informed them. "Hey guys! I hate to interrupt this reunion, but I think we'd better tell Cid about this!" interrupted Baku. "Good idea." Replied Blank, "C'mon, Zidane. We're goin' to the castle." He added.

The eight of them took an air cab to the castle. When they got there they went straight to the royal chamber, talking about what happened to them in the past year. Zidane stuck his head through the crack in the door and saw Regent Cid, Lady Hilda and Minister Artania discussing something. But what shocked Zidane most was seeing Eiko in there with them. _"Eiko! What the hell is she doing here!?"_ he thought. Baku suddenly barged in on them, and the rest of the crew followed; Cid immediately greeted them, "Greetings Baku! Boys! How are you today?" he asked. "Hello everyone." Greeted Hilda. "Hey! What are _you_ guys doing here!? This place is for people of royalty!" protested Eiko. Artania laughed, "Haha, boisterous as ever Lady Eiko. It's quite alright." He reassured her.

"Cid, we got a surprise for you all!" said Baku, "And no. It's not about your moving throne problem." He added. Cid groaned, "Well, there goes my hopes...." he said, disappointed, "So, what _is_ this surprise of yours, then?" he asked. Suddenly, Zidane emerged from behind Tantalus, "Hey Cid!" he said, happily. All four of them gasped with shock, "Zidane! You're alive!" cried Eiko. "I heard that a lot today." He remarked, she squealed as she ran up to him and hugged his leg, tightly. "Zidane! I-It's a miracle!" stated Cid. Hilda was speechless and so was Artania. "M-M-Master Zidane..... I-I can't believe it...." uttered Artania in sheer amazement. Cid rushed up to him and shook his hand with honour, "It's absolutely marvellous that you are still alive, Zidane. I-I just don't know what to say!" he said. "Yeah, sure is great to be back." Replied Zidane, trying to shake Eiko off his leg.

"So anyway. Guys, I didn't just come back here for a happy reunion, I have a favour to ask." Explained Zidane. "Of course Zidane! Anything you desire." Cid responded. Zidane turned to his brothers, "I'm gonna need your help on this, guys." He pointed out. "Gwahahahahaha! You bet! Anything you what!" answered Baku. "Great! Now here's the thing: I know that it's kinda short notice, but, I want you to cast me as the lead in the next play for Daggers birthday." He explained. Cid suddenly looked up with concern on his face, a look that appeared with everyone in the room besides Zidane. "May I ask why?" asked Cid. "Well, I want to give her something special for her birthday, since it's the first time we'll have seen each other in a year. I want to surprise her, I've been thinking of her none stop." He responded. Cid and Baku looked at each other, like they knew something that the genome didn't. Zidane looked at everyone in confusion. "Is something wrong?" he asked. "What? Oh, no. Of course not. Haha, everything's fine." He said, putting on a seemingly forced smile, "I'm sure that there will be no problem putting you in the cast Zidane, right Baku?" he said, nodding at the Tantalus leader. "O-Of course! Gwahahahahaha! No problem at all!" he said, with the same look as Cid.

Zidane clapped his hands once, "Fantastic! Ok, I'll be right back, I just need to take a pit stop." He said, rushing out of the room. Hilda approached Cid, "Does he even know what he is saying?" she asked. "Well, he seemed all happy and jolly. Like he usually is." Said Blank. "Oh dear...... I don't think he knows." Said Cid.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The Painful Secret

The next day, Zidane was doing final rehearsals for the play, making few mistakes, if any. The genome had his heart set on this performance, Daggers play of choice. He thought about her endlessly. He longed for her warm touch and soothing voice. His Tantalus brothers were all quite impressed with his enthusiasm. Even Eiko came down to the hideout to watch them practice on occasion. After hours of none stop rehearsing, he was finally given his costume.

"Costume!? Why would I want a costume?" he questioned, "No one else is wearing one! So, why should I? Besides, I want Dagger to actually _see_ me!" he added. "Yer wearin' it whether yer like it or not! I'm yer boss and you'll do as you're freakin' told!" responded Baku, loudly. "Uh uh! Don't you remember? I left Tantalus in Evil Forest. I guess the joke's on you! Haha!" smirked Zidane. "HEY! I didn't _have_ to let you play the lead, ya' know! In fact, I didn't have to cast you in the play at all! It'll be easy as pie to drop you out of the cast! So, ipso-facto, I'm yer boss!" he retaliated. Zidane's smirk dropped to a defeated frown, "Fine! I'll wear the stupid costume." He reluctantly agreed. Baku picked up a roll of black cloth and handed it to Zidane, "Here ya go, dirt bag!" he said. The genome unravelled the roll and it revealed itself as a tatty black cloak with a hood. "What the heck is this!? You want me to go on stage in a rag!?" he shouted.

"That ain't a rag! It's a cloak! It'll hide yer identity!" replied Baku. Zidane raised an eye brow, "Well, how's that gonna help? I'm doing this to go back to Dagger! How am I gonna do that if she can't even see me!?" he complained. "AAAAHHHHHH! Shut yer whinin' for god sake!" shouted Baku, in a tantrum. Zidane suddenly closed his mouth, tightly. The Tantalus leader rubbed his forehead, calming himself down. "Look! I've got a splittin' head ache, and your whingin' ain't helpin'! I was thinkin', maybe you could do summat dramatic at the climax!" he suggested. Zidane thought for a moment, "Like what?" he asked. "Well, you could pull it off right at the end and reveal who yer are!" he answered. Zidane formed a grin on his face after a moment of thought, "You know that's not a bad idea. Yeah! I should do that!" he said with excitement, "Thanks boss!" he added before rushing off to try the cloak on.

When Zidane left, Blank, Marcus and Cinna entered the room and approached Baku. "So? How did he take it?" asked Blank, concerned. Baku's face dropped, "Oh c'mon guys! How could I tell him!? He's really psyched up about seein' her again!" he replied, worryingly. All three of them sighed, "I see your point. But it'll just be even worse when he comes to find out. He's bound to know eventually." Said Marcus. Baku suddenly raised his head in confusion, "Hang on a second!? Why should _I_ have to tell him!? I'm the boss, I should be givin' the orders around here!" he said, powerfully. The three thieves shrunk into defenceless weaklings, realising the facts.

A few hours later, the theatre troupe was ready to take off. The new Prima Vista was full of all the equipment like the set, props and other things. Lindblum citizens gathered in a crowd to see the group off. Inside the ship, Zidane, Baku, Blank, Marcus, Cinna, the Nero brothers and the Prima Vista band were all on board. "Alright lads! Hold onto something stiff! This bird is still new! It might still need tweakin'! Gwahahahahaha!" announced Baku. Cinna, Zidane and Zenero were standing in the cargo room, each one of them holding onto the wall. "Ya' know. Sometimes I'm amazed that our whole crew hasn't been driven insane by the boss' constant laughing!" yelled Cinna over the noise of the engine. Zidane laughed, "I see what you mean. Don't ever say that to him, though!" he replied. "You don't have to tell me twice!" said Cinna. Then, the airship started to move as it ascended, "YEAH! Liftoff!" cried Zenero.

Meanwhile, in the cockpit, Blank and Marcus were laying on the floor in a heap. Baku laughed while he stood at the wheel, "Gwahaha! I _did_ tell ya to hold onto somethin'!" he reminded them. "Hey Blank!" yelled Marcus, Blank turned his head, "What!?" he responded, "Do ya think Ruby has been rehearing as well!?" he asked. "She will 'ave done if she knows what's good for her!" intervened Baku. "Oh yeah!? And what about Zidane!? What are we gonna do about _that_!?" yelled Blank. "I guess we'll have to do it the hard way...." replied Marcus.

Soon after, the Prima Vista was in full flight, en route to Alexandria. Zidane walked out onto the deck. He took in a deep breath of fresh air and looked out to the mountains, "Well, here I am; on my way back to Alexandria.... Back to Dagger." He said. He rested his elbows on the side of the ship, swishing his tail back and forth, gently. The wind rushed through his thick mane of blonde hair; he closed his eyes to feel the cool breeze brushing over his face. _"I can't believe it... After everything that's happened, I'm going back to my friends. Back home. Everyone's gonna be there. I feel..... nervous."_ Thought Zidane. As he looked out at the sparkling mountain tops in the bright sun, he found himself humming Daggers song. The song that she sang whenever she felt lonely or sad, but he was far from sad. The genome smiled as a rush of happiness flourished through him.

He turned his head to see ahead of the Prima Vista. In front of them, in the mountain range, sat South Gate. It was fully operational again and, judging by the very faint sounds of voices below, it was as popular as ever. As they got closer to the gate, he heard its machinery start working and, soon after, its gigantic doors parted to let the theatre troupe pass. "We're home free now!" he shouted.

Meanwhile, within Alexandria castle, General Beatrix was banging on the queen's bedroom door, impatiently. "Your Majesty!? Your Majesty! The theatre ship is on its way here! We need you to be ready for its arrival!" she called. "Darn it, Beatrix! I said hold on!" replied a muffled female voice from behind the door. A few seconds later, Garnet burst out from her room wearing a fancy white gown. "Do you mind not screaming so that the whole kingdom can hear!? It's plain embarrassing!" she shouted at the general. Beatrix took a step back, "M-My apologies, Your Majesty. I was only trying to..." said Beatrix. Garnet shook her head, "Don't worry. Its okay, Beatrix. I've just been so stressed lately. I'm sorry I shouted." She said, gently. The Alexandrian general relaxed as Garnet walked back into her room, and Beatrix followed.

Garnet looked out of the window and saw the huge crowd that was gathering in front of the castle. She sighed, plainly. "Erm, my Queen. I'm afraid that I must rush you. The theatre ship is almost here." Said Beatrix. Nothing happened for a few moments, until Garnet said something completely off the subject. "Beatrix, be honest. Do you think that I'm a good Queen?" she asked. "Why of course, Your Majesty! You have governed this country with utter brilliance!" she answered, saluting her. Garnet turned around to face her, "Do you mean that? I mean, honestly? As a friend? Or as a loyal guard?" she further questioned. Beatrix looked confused, "I-I'm afraid that I don't understand why you are asking me this, Your Majesty." She stated. "Forget about it. It doesn't really matter." Said Garnet.

Then, both of them heard the sound of clanking amour approaching them. "(Sigh) Here comes Steiner." Said Garnet. Shortly afterwards, Steiner appeared in the door way, "Your Majesty! The theatre ship has arrived. It's time that you took your place." He informed her. "Okay then." She responded, and made her way out onto the balcony.

Meanwhile, after the theatre ship landed, Ruby quickly boarded and met the group of thieves in the cargo room. "Howdy boys! How ya'll doin'?" she asked. "Hi Ruby." They all said in unison. "Oh c'mon, fellas! Whut do ya call that!? That ain't no way to greet a lady! Let me hear ya'll again, louder this time!" she demanded. "HI RUBY!" they all shouted. "That's better!" she stated. "Hey Ruby! You been rehearsin'?" asked Marcus. Ruby stood with her chest held high, "Just who d'ya think you're talkin' to, cowboy!? Of course I've been rehearsin'!" she answered. Zidane came down the steps and saw her in the room, "Oh, hey Ruby!" he said, pleased to see her. She looked at him with wide-eyes and a gaping mouth, ".... Zidane? Is that you?" she asked in amazement. The genome inspected himself, jokingly. "Er, yeah." He answered. Suddenly, Ruby jumped up and squealed with joy, "Oh my good lord! I can't believe this! Zidane, you're alive! You're alive!" she cried out rushing toward him and throwing her arms around his neck. Ruby hugged him tightly, "Ok, Ruby. Ok." He said, hinting for her to let go, and she did so. "I don't believe whut am seein'! Are you really here, Zidane!?" she questioned, still astonished by his return. Zidane laughed, "Yes, Ruby, I'm here! I'm 100% alive." He assured her.

She turned to the other members of Tantalus, "Why didn't any o' you old timers tell me!? He got me cryin' now! Look! My make up's all smudged!" she complained, waving her face with her hands. "Hey, hey! Don't blame us! We only found out yesterday!" informed Blank. "That's right, Ruby. I've only just got back." Said Zidane, backing Blank up. "(Sniff) Well alright then. So, whut brings ya over here, part'ner?" she asked him. "I'm gonna be in the play. I've come back here to... be with Dagger." He said, slightly embarrassed. Suddenly, a shocked look struck Ruby's face. She looked at the others who responded with body language. Zidane looked round, "What is it?" he asked. "Huh? O-Oh! N-Nothing, darlin'. Nothin' at all! Boss? A word." She said, glaring at Baku. They both went over to the corner.

"Whut in tarnation is the matter with ya! You ain't told him, have you!" she whispered. "Hey! Don't get the wrong idea! We just..... didn't have it in us." He whispered back. "All you are is a cowardly buckin' bronco!" she said. Baku glared at her, "_You_ tell him then." He ordered. Worry appeared in her eyes. She looked over at Zidane, who was having a laugh with his brothers. "Oooohhhh..... I can't." She admitted. "Yeah. Exactly." He remarked and they joined the others.

"Problem?" asked Zidane. "Naw. No problem at all." She said, forcing a smile. "Alright! That's enough screwin' around! Lets' get out there and melt some faces!" announced Baku. "Yeah!" they all cried out in unison.

Later, Garnet sat up on the balcony, resting her arms on the ledge and balancing her head with her hand, and her two loyal guards, Steiner and Beatrix, were behind her. At the moment, the play hadn't started. She sighed with boredom, with her eyes semi-shut. Then, the lights came on and music started playing. As a result, the crowd let out a huge cheer as Baku walked onto the stage. Suddenly, Garnet perked up and clapped with the audience. "Ladies and Gentlemen! Tonight's performance is a story that takes place long, long ago. Our heroine, Princess Cornelia, is torn from her lover, Marcus. She attempts to flee the castle, only to be captured by her father, King Leo. Tonight's story begins when Marcus and Cornelia decide to run away together." Announced Baku. Garnet smiled, _"I thought that they'd do this one. It's my favourite!"_ thought Garnet, happily. "And now, Your Royal Majesty, Queen Garnet, Lord Steiner, Lady Beatrix, noble ladies and lords and our rooftop viewers, Tantalus proudly presents 'I Want To Be Your Canary'!" he continued before bowing and going off-stage.

The crowd slowly silenced as soothing love-themed music started playing and Ruby appeared on top of the castle on the set, calling for Marcus, hiding her accent. Garnet smiled, she knew most of the lines off by heart. Then, a second person emerged from backstage in front of the audience. The person was anonymous to the crowd, _and_ to Garnet; he was wearing a black hooded robe that covered up any possible clues to his identity. Garnet raised an eye brow, "Huh? Who's that? It's defiantly a man and he's playing as Marcus. But, why the cloak? I guess Tantalus must be trying something new this year." She whispered to herself. As she watched the play, her attention shifted to the audience below. She scanned through the bundle of people and eventually spotted Vivi. He was still with them, a couple of inches taller as well. There were also smaller clones of himself sat with him as well, six to be exact. "Whoa. I wonder what happened there?" she giggled. She also saw Puck sitting with him as well. He kept looking at the Vivi clones, infrequently, trembling with caution. Garnet couldn't help but let out a small laugh.

She turned her gaze to Freya, who was sat with Amarant and Quina. _"Is that.... Amarant? I never guessed her would be here. But, then again, he has changed, under his influence...."_ she thought. She looked at Quina and smiled, "That Qu sure knows how to cook." She whispered, remembering all of the fine gourmet dishes that s/he had made for her during that past year. Then, she turned to Freya, sat on her own, without Sir Fratley. Garnet tilted her head, "I wonder where Sir Fratley is? She sent out a message saying that the two of them were back together. I guess he's just not fond of plays. Or he could have his hands full restoring Burmecia." She whispered. The queen looked straight down and saw Regent Cid sat with Lady Hilda and Eiko. _"Uncle Cid is here! And so is Auntie Hilda! So they did make it after all. And Eiko is still with them, I see. I bet she loves the life of a princess."_ She thought.

After viewing her old friends, she looked up back at the stage and saw the mystery man, with his back to the audience, and his hands in the air. "I beseech thee, wondrous moonlight, grant me my only wish!" he called out. Then, the figure bent down a little and seemed as though he was about to unmask himself. Garnet leaned forward, eager to know the identity of this cloaked man. The Tantalus group watched back stage, looking worried about Zidane. Blank and Marcus looked at each other with long faces, "Oh god..... Here we go." They said, biting their lips. Then, as quick as a flash, Zidane threw off the cloak and looked up at Garnet on the balcony, "Bring my beloved Dagger to me!" he cried.

Garnet gasped with amazement and wide-eyes. "Could it be....?" she uttered. Unable to control her happiness, she ran for the door, without a moment of thought, only to be halted by Steiner and Beatrix. Her expression dropped as they towered over her. Then, to her amazement, her two body guards opened the door for her, allowing her to pass. She thanked the quickly and ran down the stairs. Steiner and Beatrix looked at each other, with that same look of concern and worry on their faces. Garnet rushed past two guards and flung the door open that led outside. She impatiently forced her way through the crowd, pushing past people and saying phrases like "Please excuse me." As she continued through the endless waves of people, a certain person knocked her pendant from her neck and it landed on the floor a couple of feet away. She watched it laying, defencelessly on the ground in front of her, all the while a decision to either to go and get it or leave it and go to Zidane rushed through her head. After careful consideration, she decided to leave it behind.

Zidane walked to the end of the stage when he saw Garnet running down the stairs. He smiled with an unquestionable amount of joy at the sight of her. Garnet threw off her tiara and leaped for Zidane, crying out his name. The genome caught her and swung her round in joy. The Alexandrian queen hugged him tightly, bursting with happiness. When Zidane set her down, she looked up into his eyes and tears ran down her face. They didn't say a word, but the thief could tell that she couldn't find the right words, so he simply gave her a cheeky smirk as if to say, "I told you I'd come back." Garnet buried her head into Zidane's chest, "I was worried about you, you idiot!" she stated, lightly hitting him on the shoulder. They looked at each other once more, and then embraced. The crowd exploded with cheers, everyone clapped them, even Amarant. Zidane stroked her hair to calm her down while she held onto him.

After a few moments of this romantic scene, Garnet suddenly gasped, realising what she was doing. She quickly pulled herself away from Zidane and dried her tears, "Zidane! Why are _you_ here?" she asked, worryingly. The genome raised an eye brow, "What do you mean? I came back to be with you of course." He explained. Garnet looked into his eyes for a moment, "Oh no.... Obviously, no one's told you." She informed him. "Huh? No one's told me what?" he asked. "W-well. I... erm...." she stuttered. Before she could say anything, a voice called from the crowd, "Hey! You with the tail!" Zidane turned around and the crowd went dead. At the top of the steps that Garnet came down stood a man wearing a formal white shirt, a long sleeved blue jacket with golden patterns on the lining, white gloves, a bow tie, knee length blue trousers, long white stockings, black buckled shoes and a long blue cape. His hair was combed very finely and he had grey streaks of hair on his fringe.

"_Who the heck is that?"_ Zidane thought. The man violently pointed at him, "What do you think you're doing!? What made you think that you could put your hands on my wife!?" he yelled at him. Zidane gasped in horror, "_Y-Your _wife!?" he questioned. The genome looked at Garnet, who looked terribly upset, and, to his fear, she nodded.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Harold Mayer, King of Alexandria

Zidane stood before a quietly muttering crowd, shocked and heartbroken. Garnet stood next to him, doing her absolute best to hold back tears. Steiner and Beatrix watched from the balcony, and all the others; Vivi, Eiko, Freya, Amarant and Quina stared in silence at the scene. The Tantalus troupe also watched from backstage, behind the curtain. The young genome remained motionless in the centre on the stage, trembling. The angered Alexandrian king walked up onto the stage and approached Zidane.

"Well!?" he said formally with a hit of aggression. Zidane remained mute. "Have you nothing to say, you scoundrel!?" he shouted, still no answer. "Answer me!" he demanded. "Harold, please-"Garnet intervened, "No, no, Garnet! He had the nerve to insult me in front of my own people! He has got a lot to answer for!" he said, disregarding her. "Harold wait! Listen to me!" she said, forcing her voice at him, "This is the person that I told you about. The one who saved my life!" she explained. He squinted at Zidane cautiously, "Is that true? Are you _really_ Zidane Tribal?" he asked, still with slight offence. Zidane merely nodded weakly. Garnet cut between them, "Zidane. This is my husband, Harold Mayer. Harold. This is my friend, Zidane Tribal." She informed them both. _"Friend? Is that all I am to her?"_ Zidane thought. Harold glared at Zidane as he cautiously offered his hand, "Charmed." He said.

Zidane glared back at him, refusing to shake his hand. Harold grinned and relaxed his arm, "Well, someone's having a bad day." He said, eerily calm. He turned to Garnet, "Your friend doesn't say much does he. I'm beginning to wonder how you know him so well." He stated. Them Harold turned and walked back to the castle, triumphantly. When he left, the tension in the crowd disappeared. Zidane quickly looked at Garnet. "Are you kidding me?" he asked. "What? No. Harold is my husband, and has been for the past few months." She explained. "You mean to tell me that you left me for him?" he asked, more seriously. "_Left_ you? From what I recall, I don't remember 'hooking up' with you, as you call it. I mean, sure, I had feelings for you. But we were never officially 'together'." She retaliated. Zidane groaned lightly. "Be that as it may, but, I thought you loved me? Why did you even marry him anyway?" he asked, "Zidane, remember; we all thought you were dead! I waited and waited for you, but you never came back! I was heartbroken and under pressure at the same time. I couldn't take it! My heart was hurting constantly as I waited for you, and my head was hurting form the responsibility I had. And, well, Harold was there. He's helped me so much! I know that he seems a bit ruthless, but there's no way I could have got where I am now without him. I owe him a lot." She said.

"Oh, right. So everything _I_ did was a waste of time and effort!?" questioned Zidane. "I never said that! But, I don't know why you're so upset? You always told me to move on. And I've found someone that I want to be with. I'm sorry, Zidane, but what we had has come and gone. Some things just aren't meant to be, no matter how perfect they seem." Declared Dagger. Zidane fell to his knees as he felt his heart break in two. Garnet headed for the stairs of the stage, "Zidane, I don't like making you upset, but you have to realise that I've moved on with my life. And I suggest that you do the same." She said. The genome looked up, "So, what do you want me to do!? Just, pretend that you don't exist!?" he questioned. "If you've any love left for me? Yes." She answered and walked back to the castle.

Zidane slammed his head on the stage floor, "NO! Dammit!!!!" he cried out, "Not her! I can't have lost her!" he continued. His Tantalus brothers approached him from backstage, "We're sorry, Zidane." Said Marcus. Zidane turned his head, "Am I the only one who didn't know?" he asked, quietly. No one said anything. "Well!?" he demanded, angrily. "I-It's not that we didn't want to tell you." Said Blank, "It's just that it was too hard to say." Finished Ruby. The genome lowered his head. "Did everyone know?" he asked, calmly. "Y-Yeah..." said Baku. Zidane nodded, got up and walked off stage. "Hey! Where you goin'!?" Cinna called after him. "I don't know. But I'm not staying here; I think I've humiliated myself long enough." He responded.

Then, Vivi, Freya, Quina and Amarant emerged from the crowd and went over to Zidane. "Zidane! Wait!" called Freya. He turned around and saw his old friends approaching him, "Hey guys..." he said, in a dull and miserable way. His eyes widened when he saw several Vivi's, "Now this _is_ weird; seven Vivi's!?" he said. The little black mages all looked at each other, confused. "Erm, Zidane. I know that a lot of upsetting stuff has just happened, but these are my kids." Said the real Vivi, who was slightly taller that the others. "WHAAAT!?" cried Zidane, amazed at the outcome of his friend, "You had six kids in one year? Man, you sure didn't waste time, did you!?" he added. "It didn't happen _that_ way. They were grown genetically by the genomes, they managed to recover some of the machinery from their home planet and set it up in under the Black Mage Village." He explained. "Allow me to introduce my kids, Zidane; Bibi, Zizi, Mimi, Didi, Riri and Gigi." He said, trying to change the subject from Zidane's source of sorrow. The genome scratched his chin, "Oh yes. You're really thinking outside the box with their names aren't you?" He sarcastically remarked. They all laughed, except Amarant.

"Listen, Zidane. I don't know what to say about all this. Search parties were sent out but no one could find you. And Dagger... Well... She needed help and-" Freya explained, "Freya." Zidane interrupted, "I don't want to talk about it." He stated. "Of course. I apologise, Zidane." Said Freya. Quina stepped forward, "We look all over for you Zidane. We no find you anywhere!" s/he said. "Well, I'm sorry I caused such a fuss. I was in a coma. That was about a week and three days ago now." He said. "By the way, who is that Harold guy? He's a complete snob as far as I can tell. Of all people, why did Dagger pick _him_?" He added. "We're not too fond of him either. But he is good at what he does." Informed Freya. "Well, I think that he's a complete jerk! I don't even like him as a ruler." Stated Amarant. "I no like him either!" agreed Quina. "Well, I can't really judge someone who I don't know, but I he isn't very nice to us. We hardly see Dagger anymore because Harold keeps her isolated inside the castle most of the time. But she seems to like him, so, obviously, she sees something in him that the rest of us don't." Said Vivi. Zidane smiled, "You know? As grim as things are right now, it's nice to know that you guys are on my side." He said.

"By the way, Vivi. I want to ask you something. It's about your kids." Said Zidane. "U-Um, okay..." Vivi replied, cautiously. Zidane gave him a cheeky grin, "So? Who's the lucky girl?" he asked, "Huh?" said Vivi, confused. "Well, you're the dad right? So there has to be a mother doesn't there?" he asked. Vivi seemed slightly embarrassed, "I already told you that it didn't happen like that. What I mean is that they were grown genetically, no intercourse involved." Explained the black mage. "Really? Geez, where's the fun in that?" Zidane remarked. "B-But they _do _have a mother. It took the DNA of a male and a female to grow them. I was obviously the male." Vivi further informed. "Really? You never told us that, Vivi." Said Freya. "I know. It's just that that's where it goes a little funny...." he added. Zidane raised an eye brow, "Funny? What's funny about having a girlfriend?" he asked. Vivi fiddled nervously with his fingers, "S-She's not my girlfriend. We're not _together_ or anything like that. It's just that the girl is a genome." He revealed. All four of them gasped lightly, "So their part black mage, part genome, huh? That's bizarre... Does she have a name?" asked Zidane, nervously. Vivi didn't say anything for a moment; it became obvious that he was embarrassed by it, "I-It was your sister, Zidane." He said quietly. Zidane laughed out loud and fell to the floor with surprise, "MIKOTO'S THEIR MOTHER!?" he yelled. Vivi nodded slowly.

"Zidane! That's very rude!" said Freya, telling Zidane off. The genome picked himself up. "Don't laugh at him! Can't you see that he's embarrassed!? I'm sure that talking about it is that last thing that Vivi wants!" she added. Zidane's face dropped, "Oh yeah... Sorry Vivi." He apologised, "I-It's ok..." said the black mage. "So what about you, Zidane?" asked Amarant. "If you were in a coma a week and three days ago, and you've only just turned up, where were you in that time?" he added. Zidane looked up at him, "N-Nowhere. It's not important." He responded. "Oh yeah? Well, I think you're hiding something." Amarant stated. Zidane started to sweat. "You leave Zidane alone. If he no want talk about it, that his choice." Said Quina, defending his/her friend. Amarant shrugged. Suddenly, Eiko came running up to them. "Hey! What you guys talking about?" she said, energetically. "Hi Eiko, wassup?" replied Zidane. "Are you ok, Zidane? About the whole Dagger thing?" she asked. The genome sighed, "I'll live...." he said, sadly. " By the way, Eiko. Um, t-there's something I have to tell you.... It isn't good news I'm afraid." He said. Eiko listened to him, carefully.

"I should have told you this before, but, when I woke up from my coma, I went to Madain Sari. There, I learned that your old moogle friends....." he began, hesitantly. Eiko's mouth dropped open at the mention of her childhood friends. "Um.... I found out that they had been...... killed.... in an earth quake." He finished. Eiko gasped in horror. Tears started to fill her eyes. Freya, Vivi and Quina also gasped. Amarant kept his cool. "Chimomo was the only survivor. But... One week later, he was killed by...... a Blazer Beetle." He lied, hiding Ares' existence from his friends. Eiko burst out into tears. Vivi put his arm round her in an attempt to console her. "I'm sorry Eiko...." said Zidane. Amarant kept an eye on Zidane, noticing his hesitation when revealing the identity of Chimomo's killer.

"Zidane Tribal!" called a voice from behind them. The genome looked up and saw it to be Harold Mayer. He frowned at the aristocrat as he approached. "Listen. Garnet and I have just been talking; she is quite upset by the recently revealed facts." Harold informed him. "So? What do you want me to do about it? I'm upset too you know!" said Zidane. "Yes, I expected as much. I've agreed to invite you to Garnets birthday party this evening. There will be food, drinks and orchestral music from the Tantalus band. All free of charge of course. You would be most welcome; you are known worldwide after all." The Alexandrian king informed. Zidane glared at him for a few seconds. "Sure. Count me it." He replied. Harold grinned, "Good, we'll see you this evening." He said and walked away. "This should be interesting." He muttered to himself.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

A Remnant of a Qu's Past

It was nearing dusk in Alexandria. The sun was setting behind the hills, shining a deep orange glow over the kingdom. People were gathering in the town centre as Queen Garnet's 17th birthday party was nearing. Everyone in the whole of Alexandria was invited. Vivi was accompanied by his offspring, offering his help with final preparations. Freya stood with a handful of Burmecians who she had brought with her while Amarant stood on his own. Steiner and Beatrix lead the preparations with the Alexandrian guards and the Knights of Pluto. Garnet remained with Harold within the castle for the time being. Eiko stayed with her adoptive parents, Regent Cid and Lady Hilda. Even Zidane turned up, still hurting from within however.

The chefs were in the kitchen, rushing around as usual readying fine dishes for their queen's birthday. Quina walked in with something to announce. "Everyone! I have announcement to make. Gather round." s/he ordered. They all obeyed and formed a line in front of the Qu. "I know that it short notice, but I no can cook for tonight." He informed. They all gasped and flooded him/her with questions and protests. "You can't bail out, master!" cried a chef. "We need you most tonight!" yelled another. "I sorry, but now is important time for me. Zidane come back today and he depressed after learning that Dagger marry other mean man. He need his friends, that include me. So I no can cook. It only for today. Me sorry" He/she stated. Then, Quina turned around and walked out. "But where are we supposed to get a replacement Master Chef!?" a cook called after him/her. "World big place! Lots of fine cooks! Get in touch with one and hire for tonight!" he/she called back. All the chefs looked at each other, clueless of what to do; they lacked a master cook on Garnets birthday. A replacement had to be found. Fast.

Outside, Zidane stood with his Tantalus brothers as they tried to cheer him up, but to no avail. "C'mon, Zidane. I know she's a good gal an' all, but in the past when they left you, you got over it within the hour! So why is now different?" asked Blank. Zidane sighed, "You just don't understand Blank.... I was a womanizer back then. I only thought about girls. But that all changed when I met Dagger. It was the real thing. It just isn't the same without her...." he replied. Cinna patted him on the back, "Well, at least _try_ to cheer up a bit! You're at a party for cryin' out loud!" he advised. The genome shook his head, "Sorry guys, but I just can't. I feel like I've had my heart ripped out and crushed in front of my face.... There's no girl like her. _Anywhere_." He said, mournfully. "It's alright, Zidane. You obviously have a lot o' thinkin' to do. We'll give you ya space. C'mon boys! Let's see if we can help with the preparations!" said Ruby. They all followed her, and left Zidane on his own. He sat down at a table and slumped over the chair. _"Dagger....... What am I gonna do without you?"_ he thought.

"Hey Zidane." Said a voice from behind him. Zidane turned around and saw Vivi, "Hey Vivi. You okay?" he asked. "Y-Yeah. I'm ok, thanks.... Do you mind if I sit with you? I need to talk to you." He said. "Sure, pull up a chair." Zidane answered. The black mage did so and sat next to his friend. "So, what's up?" asked Zidane. Vivi sighed, "Well, I want to know what you think. You see, I've suspected for a while that my kids favour Mikoto over me. Apart from Bibi, he doesn't favour either of us and he spends a lot of time with me, but the others don't seem to like me." He explained. "What do you mean? They love you really. Don't they?" asked Zidane. Vivi shook his head. "I love them all equally. But they don't open up to me, and their usually over at Mikoto's hut. She doesn't think much of me either. I mean were friends, yeah. But even though we mother and father the same children, she isn't interested in relationships." He said, "I had to make them come down here. I know that they would much rather be at home with Mikoto." He added.

"By the way, what's happened to the black mages, Vivi? Did they...... stop?" asked Zidane, using the black mage's words respectfully. "No. The genomes technology was able to expand their lives a little and they stretched mine to the length of a normal person. That's why I'm still here. But..... They couldn't extend their life spans more than a year or so. They'll still stop, it's just been delayed." Answered Vivi. "So, they're all still alive?" Zidane asked. "Y-Yeah. The genomes gave them a little more time." Vivi replied. "Well, that's good news." Said Zidane, "I'm not sure what to say about your kids, though, Vivi." He added. "I didn't think so. You're not a father are you?" said Vivi. Zidane raised his head, "Hey. You never know! You know about the old routine, Vivi. There could be a squadron of little Zidane's running around as we speak." He joked. The both laughed. "Hey, you two. What you laughing at?" said Eiko as she approached them with Amarant, Steiner, Beatrix and Quina behind her. Freya followed behind them as well.

"Oh, hi guys." Greeted Zidane. "Where've you been?" he asked. "No where worth mentioning." Stated Amarant. Vivi walked up to Eiko, "Hey Eiko. Are you alright? You know, about your moogles at Madain Sari?" he asked, concerned about her. She sniffed a little, "Y-Yeah. I'm ok. They wouldn't want me to be sad, would they?" she said. "That's right." Said Zidane. "By the way, Freya. What happened with you and your boyfriend? Is he still forgetful?" he asked. "Yes. He still doesn't remember or past. But, he seems to have fallen for me anyway. He isn't here because he stayed in Burmecia to help with the restoration." She explained. Zidane laughed, "Ironic or what? He's inevitably drawn to you, memory or no memory." He said. The others chuckled with him, apart from Amarant.

"Hey Quina. Aren't you the head chef of Alexandria now? I thought that you'd be in the kitchen." Zidane asked. Quina shook his/her head, "I take time off to be with you all. Friends come before job." S/he replied. "But who's gonna be the cook?" Zidane asked further. "I not know. I sure that Alexandrian chefs will be ok." He/she answered. "Well, that's very thoughtful of you, Quina." Freya complimented. Steiner stepped forward, "Zidane. I have not yet spoke to you." He said. "Neither have I." Added Beatrix. "Hey, that's right! You guys been ok this past year?" he asked. "Yes. We saw the heartbreaking moment for you from the balcony. I'm not sure what to say, Zidane. But Beatrix and I are loyal to King Harold as well as Queen Garnet." Said Steiner. "Guys, the party is about to start. Parties are times for laughs and friends. I'd rather not dwell on that, it'll only make me feel worse." Explained Zidane. "Why, of course! M-My apologies." Said Steiner, saluting Zidane. The genome raised an eyebrow, "Ok. That was weird. Erm, Steiner? Why did you salute me just now?" he asked. "Well, it would be inappropriate not to, considering that you are famous worldwide." Replied Steiner. "Maybe so, but I don't want any special treatment or anything like that. I'm still plain old Zidane, ok?" he reassured the knight. "As you wish, Zidane." Steiner replied, respectfully.

Beatrix stepped forward, "Zidane. I would like to apologise." She stated. "Apologise? For what?" he asked. Beatrix bowed her head slightly, "....... For being a fool. It was wrong of me to do what I did to you in the past. That goes for Freya, Vivi, Quina and..... Steiner as well. I apologise for insulting you and for being mislead." She said. "Hey, hey! Don't worry about it. That was ages ago. And we all know that you've changed. Don't be so down on yourself, Beatrix. You're a good person." Zidane consoled her. The Alexandrian General smiled, touched at what Zidane said. Then, the genome cheekily grinned at her and Steiner, "And there's no use hiding it. You have a crush on Rusty, don't you?" he laughed. Everyone else joined him apart from Amarant. The two knights blushed and looked at each other. Soon after, they both laughed as well.

Garnet looked down from the castle window at her friend's laughter, wishing that she was down there with them. She sighed with boredom, _"Why do I have to be stuck in here all the time? It gets boring after a while."_ She thought. "Garnet." Said Harold. Dagger turned around to face him. "Come. The party is about to begin. I'll allow you to roam freely about the grounds, alright?" he said. Garnet merely nodded, putting a smile of her face. Meanwhile, the others were outside, talking about past memories. "Hey! Remember when Zidane kicked Amarants butt!?" cried Eiko. "All too well." Zidane responded. He looked at Amarant who was frowning at him, "Ha ha! Cheer up, Amarant. We're only having a laugh!" Zidane convinced him. "Just remember; you still owe me a rematch!" Amarant informed. "Not right now. Some other time, okay?" said Zidane. Amarant nodded, "Whenever." He stated.

"Hello." A voice said behind them. "Nice to see you, Quina." The voice carried on. They all turned around and, in front of a Quina was another Qu, hunched over with his/her arms behind his/her back. S/he wore a tall hat, similar to Quale's, only with darker colours. S/he also wore a black apron over a deep red coloured chef's coat with a cream stripe across his/her stomach. The Qu and Quina stood facing each other, not saying a word. Everyone else watched with tension. Quina stared at the second Qu with serious eyes, unlike anything s/he has done before. The other Qu was also slightly slimmer that Quina, although s/he could still be considered obese. The second Qu grinned slightly at Quina.

"Gourmand Queldo. What surprise. After all these years, you still alive." Mocked Quina. Queldo chuckled, "Lines on your face just as deep old friend." He responded confidently. Quina frowned at that remark and tensed up. "_That_ was rude." Stated Eiko. "Relax. You no need worry; I not come here to cause trouble. However, I hear silly rumour that you become master at gourmand. I guess it true what people say: Anything can happen!" said Queldo, "What it to you, huh!?" asked Quina aggressively. "Admit it, Quina; you out of your league! You privileged by my absence last year. But I come back and mastered gourmand with better method." Queldo responded. Everyone glared at him/her and Quina remained tense. "I sympathise your friends. I really do. It not easy for them to accept that they're friend is inexperienced at art of food. I suggest you rethink you method of picking allies." s/he added. Quina smiled, mockingly, "Well, it nice to know some things haven't changed. Like you still full of hot air!" s/he insulted. Quina and Queldo came face to face, both showing each other faces of hatred. "You better stay out of my way!" demanded Queldo, "We not turning tail for you or anyone!" Quina retaliated. The Qu's glared at each other, both grinding their teeth together for a few seconds. Finally, Queldo turned his back and walked away. "I wasted enough time on you losers! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have job waiting for me in Alexandria castle kitchen." s/he stated. "What!? They replace me with you!?" asked Quina, "Yes! Since you no can do your job right, I got to do it for you!" Queldo answered and stormed off towards the castle.

Quina turned around and went back to Zidane and the others, annoyed. "Hey, Quina. Who was that guy?" asked Zidane. "I used to call him 'friend'. Now he just a big bully!" replied Quina. "Well, you two obviously hold a grudge. Why is he so mad at you?" asked Steiner. "He been like that for a long time. We go to rival gourmand schools. You take no notice of him." Said Quina. "Well said Quina. We're on your side." Said Zidane. "Thanks." Said Quina.

"Attention please!" called Weimer, ringing a bell. Everyone looked in his direction. He was standing on a platform that held a pair of thrones. Sitting on the thrones were Harold in one and Garnet in another. Garnet stood up and approached the microphone. "Everyone. I would like to thank you all for coming to my birthday party. I'm very happy that so many people turned up. Also, I'd like to thank my husband, Harold, for organising this event for everyone. I want to thank Regent Cid, Lady Hilda and Tantalus for putting together and performing a wonderful play as well. And finally, I want to thank my friends, Steiner, Beatrix, Vivi, Freya, Eiko, Quina, Amarant and... Zidane for being here as well." She announced. Zidane looked slightly surprised to hear his name called out. "And now, I officially declare that the party has begun. Enjoy yourselves everyone! Everything is free of charge! Have fun, that's an order!" she stated. Everyone cheered and the party was in progress.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The Party

It was a night time sky over Alexandria and the residents and visitors were enjoying their queen's 17th anniversary of her birth. Garnet sat on her throne with Harold, over seeing her people and friends having a wonderful time. Tables were laid out all over the outdoors of Alexandria. There were chefs serving food from the long buffet tables, Alexandria guards and the Knights of Pluto stood by the entrances as well as the king and queen, guarding them. Steiner and Beatrix regained their positions either side of Garnet and Harold. The chefs were bringing out food from the castle's kitchen, cooked by Quina's old rival, a twisted Qu with a mind of metal, Queldo.

Regent Cid and Hilda sat up near Garnet and Harold. The Tantalus gang sat at their own table as well. Zidane, Vivi, Eiko, Freya, Quina and Amarant sat around one of the tables having just returned with their own helpings of food. Everyone came back with plates full of fine meat and sauces among other things. Quina was the only exception; s/he only had a small salad on a large plate. Everyone looked surprised, "Hey Quina, it that all you're having? I thought that you'd have several plates of food with you." Said Zidane. Quina shook his/her head, "I not eat anything that bigot cooks! Chefs make salad, not master chef." s/he answered. Eiko laughed, "You really don't like him/her do you?" she said. "No! I have no portions of Queldo's food!" s/he replied.

Everyone dug into their meals, "I haven't had a meal like this since I was at Cleyra!" stated Zidane. Freya looked up, "What was that? You went to Cleyra?" she asked. "Yeah. Did you know that it's been fully restored now? They've got the tree back and everything!" the genome replied with a mouth full of food. "Don't talk with your mouth full, scruff." Said Amarant. Zidane glared at him. "Y-Yes. We did know. Sir Fratley and I helped rebuild the settlement." Explained Freya, changing the subject. Zidane swallowed his food, "Really? You sure didn't mess about did you? Getting it done in a year! The last time I saw it, it was just a burnt up tree stump in the middle of a sand pit." He answered, "Well, the time before I saw it last, if you wanna get technical." He added, jokingly. "Actually, Zidane. I still can't believe that you're back!" said Vivi. Zidane smiled at him, "Good to _be_ back." He answered, "Well, almost..." he added, looking up at Harold and Garnet.

"I know it tough, Zidane. But there nothing we could have done." Consoled Quina. Zidane nodded, "Yeah, I guessed. But, there's nothing that can be done now, I'm afraid. How long have they been married, anyway?" he asked. They all took a moment to think. "I'd say about three months." Eiko estimated. The others murmured in agreement. "So, anyway. What happened to you? Over the week and three days I mean." asked Vivi. Amarant looked up, "Yeah. What _did_ happen during that time, Zidane?" he pressured the genome, still convinced that he was keeping a secret. "Erm..... W-Well... I, uh...." Zidane stuttered. "Yeeeesss?" said Amarant, demanding an honest answer. Freya lightly tapped the mercenary on the shoulder, "Don't pressure him! I assume that he would not like to discuss it here and now. Am I right?" said Freya, defending her friend. Zidane nodded. Amarant groaned, "I'm going to get some more food..." he said, standing up and walking to the buffet. "Me too." Said Vivi, who was followed by Eiko and Freya. "Are you coming, Zidane?" she asked. "Nah. I'm ok for now." He answered. Freya nodded and walked off. "You not going either, Quina?" Zidane asked him/her. S/he shook his/her head. "No. I not eat that food!" s/he declared. Zidane chuckled, "Ok, ok. You've made your point."

"Erm, Zidane?" a female voice came from behind him. He turned around and saw Garnet looking at him. "Can we... talk?" she asked, gently. "Erm.... Sure." He replied, carefully. The genome got up from his chair and found a spot unoccupied by anyone else. "Listen, erm. I'm sorry about before. I was upset." Garnet apologised, "And I know what you're thinking: poor little Dagger. What has _she_ got to be sad about?" she added. Zidane shook his head, "No. That's not what I was thinking. But I was kind of hurt by what you said." He replied. Garnet bit her lip, "I know.... I feel terrible about that. I said a couple of things that I didn't mean: I _don't_ want you to pretend that I don't exist. I still want to be friends, if you do, that is." She exclaimed. Zidane smiled and nodded, "Of course I do, Dagger. Can I still call you 'Dagger'?" he asked. "Of course you can. I like it when people use my nickname." She answered with a happy smile. Zidane folded his arms, "Does Harold call you 'Dagger'?" he asked. "No. He calls me by my real name; Garnet." She answered. "Well, actually. You're real name is Sarah." Zidane informed her. Garnet raised an eyebrow, "Is it? My birth name? How could you know that?" she asked, confused. Zidane suddenly remembered how he found out, and took a moment to think of a cover story.

"Well... uh, I... saw it... written on the Eidolon Wall in Madain Sari." He lied. Garnet looked further confused, "What? You saw a name on the Eidolon Wall and assumed that it was mine?" she asked. Zidane panicked a little, "Erm...... Yeah." He lied again. Garnet laughed, "Tee hee! That was funny!" she stated, and then they started to laugh together. When they called down, Garnet thought for a moment, "You know what? As farfetched as your story is.... Deep down, I know that you're right. I know it sounds crazy, but it's like hearing my name has revealed a few more of my childhood memories...." she explained, "My name _is_ Sarah!" she added, happily. "Yeah! It suits you as well. You look like a Sarah." Said Zidane. "Thank you for telling me! That's the best birthday present I've had!" she thanked. "O-Of course! Happy birthday, Da- erm, I mean, Sarah!" Zidane congratulated her. "Thanks, but, can you still just call me Dagger? I'm more used to that." She asked. "Sure. If that's what you want." He answered. Garnet smiled, "Zidane. I'm really glad that were friends again. But, we'll not be able to see each other as often as we used to. I'm very busy. What with being a queen an' all." She informed. "That's ok. And, by the way, I'm glad you still talk like the rest of us. You're a professional now." Zidane complimented. "Well, I learned from the best." She replied. They smiled at each other, warmly.

"Anyway. I'd better go, Zidane. Harold will be wondering where I am." Said Garnet. Zidane nodded, "Ok then. It was nice talking to you again, Dagger." Said Zidane. Garnet smiled as she walked away, "Same here." she said. "Oh! Dagger!" Zidane called after her. She turned around and faced him. "Harold is a _very_ lucky man." He stated. "Awwww. That's a really nice thing to say." She said, touched by his words. Then, she returned to her throne, keeping a friendly eye on Zidane, who smiled back. The genome returned to his seat, much more upbeat. His friends had returned to the table as well. "So? Have you and Dagger made up?" asked Vivi. "We sure have." Answered a bouncy Zidane. "Someone is in a good mood." Said Eiko, "By the way, Zidane. Father told me to tell you something. He said that this thing called the 'Festival of the Hunt' is on in a few days, and that you might like to enter. I think it'll be fun because he says that'll there will be animals!" she added. Vivi lowered his head, "Sure.... Animals.... Great...." he whispered, remembering his participation. "Hey, yeah! That's right! Well, I'm in! Anyone else with me?" he asked. "I'm still rebuilding Burmecia, Zidane. Maybe next year." Explained Freya. "Ok. Vivi?" asked Zidane. The black mage shook his head, "Oooohhhh no! Not after last year!" he protested. "Geez. Anyone?" the genome further asked. Everyone shook their heads. "Man! You guys are boring!" he complained.

Suddenly, Queldo walked past them and sat on the next table behind Quina, with a plate of food. "Hey, you! Aren't you supposed to be in the kitchen!?" asked Amarant. "Mind your own business, Red! I merely testing to see if food cooked properly. No doubt it is!" snapped Queldo. "Well. You're a pretty confident guy aren't you?" Zidane remarked. "There no reason not to be! My food always cooked to perfection! Unlike _some_ people!" s/he retaliated, obviously referring to Quina. The friendly Qu frowned and groaned. Then, s/he stood up and walked backward towards Queldo, without turning round. "If you have something to say, say it to my face!" Quina whispered and sat back down. Queldo mockingly pinched his/her nose, "Eeewww! I no can stand smell of loser! I demand other table at once!" s/he yelled, before getting up and spitting all over Quina's salad. The angry Qu stood up and came face to face with Queldo. "You foul nuisance! Why don't you get REAL hat!?" insulted Quina, "Got one, thanks!" retaliated Queldo. "That one too big for your brain!" argued Quina. "Hey! What that on floor!? You lose another tooth!?" countered Queldo. "At least mine real!" fought Quina. "They real, alright! Real UGLY!" shouted Queldo. "Oh! Nice one! Where you get that joke!? Out your stupid hat!?" yelled Quina.

As the two Qu's continued to argue, Zidane and his friends' cheeks turned bright red with embarrassment. Everyone was looking at them. The band had stopped playing as they watched. The chefs all had the same look of worry on their faces. The guards were distracted from their jobs by them. Even Harold and Garnet watched silently as Quina and Queldo verbally went for each others throats.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

A Moment of Pleasure

After Quina and Queldo's argument lasted about half an hour, they both finally calmed down and their argument subsided. Queldo retreated to the kitchen and Quina remained outside with his/her friends. The Tantalus band had resumed playing; some people were getting up and dancing to their orchestral tunes. Harold sat, slumped on his throne, obviously bored. Garnet, on the other hand, was sat down at a table with Regent Cid and Queen Hilda, perched on the edge of her seat, clapping happily to the music. Eiko had forced Vivi to dance with her, to which he reluctantly agreed. The black mages children were with the other infants, showing off their knowledge and, at this point in time, weak black magic spells that wowed their audience of youngsters. Freya was sat with Quina, Steiner and Beatrix, who had joined them. Zidane stood, resting his back against a wall, with Amarant still giving him a suspicious look.

Garnet continued clapping with the music and fully enjoying her birthday party. She cheered and called out to people she knew."Hello, Your Majesty." A voice said from her left, she looked around and saw her old tutor approaching her. "Doctor Tot! You made it!" she greeted him, happily. Tot chuckled, "Ha ha! Of course I did! I wouldn't miss this occasion for the world, Your Majesty." He explained. "Please Doctor, there's no need to be so formal." She assured him. "As you wish, Garnet." He answered. Doctor Tot looked up at Harold, sitting on his throne. "How is His Majesty? Still hard headed?" he asked, "Please excuse me, Garnet. But I've just never taken to the man." He added. She chuckled, "It's okay. I know what you mean, though; he can be rather strict with me sometimes." She said in agreement. Tot looked around, "I hear that Zidane has returned. Is this true?" he asked anxiously. "Yes. He came back earlier today. He's here at the party. Somewhere." She answered. "Oh Hallelujah! Our hero has returned! I would very much like to speak with him." Stated Tot, "So, if you'll pardon me, I'm going to go and find him. Happy Birthday Garnet! It is an honour to be here." He added. "It's an honour to _have_ you here, Doctor." She said and hugged him. "Oh come on. Like you mean it." He said. They parted and he went to find Zidane.

The genome was standing against a wall, lost in thought. "Zidane!" Tot called from the crowd. He looked up and saw the aged man approaching him. "Hey! Hi there Tot! How've you been?" Zidane greeted him. "I've been quite alright Zidane. Oh, beg your pardon, I mean _Sir_ Zidane." Said Tot. Zidane groaned, "Don't call me that. I'm just Zidane! There's no 'Sir' about it." He declared. Tot laughed, "Ha ha ha! As you wish, Zidane. But I am very curious; how on earth did you survive?" he asked. "Well, I wasn't dead. Just in a coma. It lasted for a year though, so, even I'm quite surprised that I'm still here. You would've thought I'd have died of malnutrition." He explained. "Yes. But fate, as it would seem, was on your side. You're very lucky, Zidane. Someone up there must like you." Tot responded. "So is that it? You woke up then made your way back here?" he added. "Y-Yeah." He lied. "You hesitated there. Is there something I should know?" asked Tot. "Oh no, no! Haha! Everything's fine!" he answered. Tot seemed suspicious, "Well.... Alright then, Zidane. I'll let you have your space now. It's great to see you again. Have fun!" Said Tot. "Ditto!" replied Zidane.

Meanwhile, "Well, isn't this fun!?" Eiko asked Vivi on the dance floor. Vivi danced lamely, "Y-Yeah. Fun (!)" Vivi replied, lying. "Hey, do you notice anything strange about Zidane?" he added. Eiko turned her head to inspect the young genome, who stood on his own. "Well, what do you mean exactly?" she asked. "Look at him. He's got scabbed cuts and bruises on his arms and his clothes are a little torn. It's like he's just been in a big fight." Vivi pointed out. "Actually, now that you mention it, he does seem a little beaten up. He wasn't like that a year ago when we last saw him, was he?" she agreed and asked. "No. I wonder how he got those...." Vivi pondered.

Zidane walked over to Freya's table. "Hey guys." He said. "Oh, hey Zidane. What were you doing over there?" asked Freya. "Oh, I was just talking to Doctor Tot. By the way, I was wondering, Steiner. Why haven't you asked Beatrix to dance yet?" he asked with a cheeky grin. Steiner's face immediately turned red with a blush, "Erm... Well, uh.... I..... didn't think that it would be appropriate on this occasion." He stated. Beatrix looked at him, a little disappointed. "What? What are you talking about, Rusty? Now is one of the best times to do it. C'mon! You know that she wants to as well! What are you waiting for?" Zidane convinced him. Freya and Quina muttered with agreement. Steiner peered at Beatrix who was smiling at him. Then, the Pluto Knight Captain put on a brave face, stood up and approached the Alexandrian General. "Very well! Beatrix, I, Adelbert Steiner, Captain of the Knights of Pluto of Alexandria confess that I find you a bright young woman and I humbly ask for, uh, your arm and to join me in, erm, a dance on this bliss filled evening." He asked, nervously. His armour rattled as he trembled with nerves. "Arm, leg: I'm yours!" answered Beatrix with excitement as she took his arm and followed him to the dance area.

"GO ON, RUSTY! RIP IT UP!!! HAHA!" cried Zidane as everyone at the party cheered the Alexandrian commanders as they marched to the centre of the dance floor. Men cat-whistled at Beatrix to which she cheekily replied, "Sorry guys, I'm taken!" referring to Steiner. The Knights of Pluto cheered Steiner with phrases like, "YEAH! THE CAPTAIN SCORED GENERAL BEATRIX!" cried Blutzen. "CAPTAIN STEINER RULES!" shouted Haagen. "Man! How could this happen!? I'm supposed to be the ladies man of the Knights of Pluto then Captain Steiner scores a chick like that! I guess I should change my method." Muttered Weimar. Garnet laughed and cheered at the couple, applauding them. Beatrix took Steiner's hand, "Ok, Steiner. Here's how we're gonna do this: put your hand on my waist." She told him. "W-WHERE!?" asked Steiner, nervously. "My waist." She repeated, seemingly unaffected by nerves. Steiner slowly reached for her waist, but Beatrix grew impatient and placed it there for him, rapidly. "Like that! See?" she asked. Steiner nodded, still nervous. Zidane cat-whistled them, jokingly, then laughed along with everyone else.

"Now, we're going to have to get a little closer: like this!" she said, wrapping her arm round Steiner's neck and pulling herself closer to him so that their bodies were touching each other. Certain parts of Steiner's body started to react when Beatrix gave him an alluring grin. _"OH NO! What now!?"_ he thought, in panic. "Now, just move with me to the music." She said. He cautiously did so, slowly. "YAY! Go Steiner and Beatrix!" cheered Garnet. More people approached the dance floor in pairs, inspired by the commanding officers actions. Steiner's problem worsened as he peered down with wide eyes and saw inside Beatrix's clothing through the opening of her cleavage. He swallowed loudly and didn't say anything to her, trying not to spoil his view. He tried not to look but gave in to his curiosity and continued to stare. This was so unlike him, he would never have thought of doing such a thing in his early days. His body continued to react to his view, but it didn't stop him. "Yeah, take a good look, Steiner." He heard Beatrix's voice say. He quickly raised his head to face her. She looking straight at him: he'd been caught red handed!

"B-Beatrix! I-uh- I mean-I wasn't...... uh..... I-I didn't mean to..... Oh hell...." he stuttered with embarrassment. He could feel the heat filling up his cheeks as he blushed. Beatrix glared at him for a few moments. _"Oh dear....She's angry. I can tell..."_ Steiner thought. Then, Beatrix's lips started to quiver and, soon after, she started to giggle out of amusement. Steiner couldn't believe his eyes: she was laughing at the situation rather that shouting at him because of it. "Erm, Beatrix? Uh.... Are you alright?" he asked. She calmed down a little, "You cheeky monkey!" she laughed. After a moment of laughter, she moved her face up to Steiner's ear. "But, you know? I find a lot of things more useful that a bra." She whispered to him. Steiner's eyes widened, "Y-You mean..... you're not-" he started, "No." She said, answering his incomplete question, with an aroused grin. "Beatrix....." he muttered, heart fully. "Steiner....." she said back. Then, they joined lips and formed a passionate kiss. Everyone howled and cheered at them. "Woohoo! That's it, Rusty! Get stuck in! Haha!" Zidane joked, standing on a table. Despite all the noise the crowd was making, neither Steiner nor Beatrix broke the kiss. They embraced each other and lost themselves in this moment of romance.

Eiko was inspired by the scene and walked up to Vivi. "Fancy another dance?" she asked. Vivi sighed, "Yeah.... Sure." He said. The two of them went to the dance floor. Freya stood up and walked over to one of her Burmecian brothers. "Shall we?" she asked, offering her arm. "I would be honoured, Freya." He replied and gladly took her arm. Then, a female Red Mage approached Amarant, who was still watching Zidane. The Red Mage cleared her throat and caught Amarants attention. "E-Erm, excuse me. I know that we don't know each other. B-But I was wondering if, erm, you..... would like to dance with me." She asked, nervously. "Hmph. Yeah. Right." Remarked Amarant, sarcastically, as he walked away. The Red Mages head dropped in disappointment, before she spotted another man and asked him. Meanwhile, Blank approached Ruby, "Hey, Ruby! Fancy a bop with me?" he flirted. "Yeehaw, cowboy! I'll be your date for t'night if you want!" she answered, taking his arm and heading to the dance floor. Even Baku found a dance partner, the Hippolady. Cid and Hilda took each other's hands and went to the dance floor as well. Puck went with Ilia. Even the Knights of Pluto found dates with the female Alexandrian Guards.

All of the couples marched to the dance floor and started to dance with each other as the band started to play more upbeat music for everyone. The dance floor was crowded with couples. Harold woke up from a snooze he was enjoying and looked down at the commotion that was ensuing with the crowd. "Ugh! What is the world coming to...." he remarked, disdainfully. Then, he looked up to find Garnet standing over him with a wishful look on her face. "Hey Harold. Would you like to dance with me? For my birthday? Everyone else is dancing." She asked. "I can see that everyone is dancing, Garnet. No! You can forget it! I'm not sinking that low!" he rejected her, harshly. Garnet looked hurt, "B-But.... What's so degrading about dancing with your wife?" she asked. "Garnet, I'm a king! I've got better things to do than to squabble about, dancing to music!" he yelled. Garnet took an emotional blow. "Oh..... O-Okay...." she said, hurtfully. She went and sat back her table, merely watching everyone else and holding back tears; she had no one to dance with.

In the midst of the crowd, Zidane, who was dancing with a young woman, saw Garnet sitting on her chair with depressed eyes. The genome looked up and saw Harold, snoozing on his throne; Zidane felt for her, dearly. Then, a butch young man butted between Zidane and his dance partner, "Hey, buddy! Mind if we share?" he said, flirting with the young woman. "She's all yours." He answered. Then, Zidane pushed his way through the crowd and went over to Garnet. "Hey Dagger. What's wrong?" he asked, "How come you're sat here all by yourself? Isn't this your birthday?" he added. Garnet looked up at him, secretly unbelievably happy to see him, "Y-Yeah. But Harold won't dance with me. He thinks it's a waste of time...." she said, hoping that Zidane would ask her to dance with him. The genome looked up at Harold, _"How could he be so cruel!? Their married, for god sake!"_ he thought, spitefully. "Well, I haven't got a dance partner..... anymore." He said, lamely looking at his old dance partner and her new one. "So you can dance with a lowly peasant like me if you want?" he asked her, very kindly with a soothing smile on his face. Garnets face lit up with joy and she dried her tears, "There's nothing that I'd love more!" She responded, happily. Zidane offered his arm to her, and she gracefully accepted. They made their way to the centre of the dance floor.

There, the two of them held each other calmly as the music changed to a slow and romantic tune. Garnet rested her head on Zidane's shoulder and placed her hands on his back. Zidane felt the smooth touch of her cheek on his neck and rested his head against hers. One of his arms was round her shoulders, under her pony tail, and the other around her waist. They were standing very close together so that their stomachs were touching, and they relaxed into each other's bodies. The two of them moved slowly and comfortably to the gentle music of the Tantalus band. Zidane's tail swayed lightly form side to side. They didn't say a word to each other; they were both just savouring their moment together.

Most of the other couples were in similar stances to theirs.

Only a few people weren't dancing. They included Amarant, Quina, Harold and Doctor Tot as well as a few elderly people and the chefs. Queldo emerged from the kitchen and stood next to where Harold was sitting. Quina stood up, having spotted Queldo and glared at him/her. Queldo glared back at Quina. _"You pathetic, Quina! I hear you help save world! No doubt you do it for yourself! You need recognition that badly!?" _spoke Queldo, telepathically to Quina. Quina frowned at his adversary, _"Not everyone twisted as you! I just wanted to help my friends!"_ he retaliated, through the mind. _"You want help yourself! Look at that waist line! You look awful down there!"_ insulted Queldo. _"You one to talk, crane brain!"_ countered Quina, mocking his/her tall hat. Queldo frowned and grinded his/her teeth together, _"You bafoon!"_ s/he attacked. _"By way, nice waitress pyjamas!"_ mocked Quina. _"You not know fashion if it slapped you in face!"_ retaliated Queldo. Quina groaned, grudgingly.

Amarant watched Zidane from the side lines. "C'mon, Zidane. I know that it didn't take you a week and three days just to get here. You would've been here already, by then. What are you hiding?" he said to himself.

Meanwhile, far away, in Cleyra, the High Priest was enjoying the peaceful view of the open air, which was a stranger to him since he was used to the grain filled breeze of the sandstorm. "The air is so clear.... It makes a nice change, but..... It feels like we're so bare without our guardian sandstorm." He said to himself. Suddenly, a male Cleyran came rushing to him. "Your holiness!" he called, urgently. "Yes, my child. What news do you bring?" asked the High Priest. "Please, pardon my intrusion. But a member of the search group you sent to investigate the trunk had returned moments ago, hanging onto his life by a thread!" he informed the Priest. He gasped with shock, "What? What happened!?" he asked, concerned. "He said that they were attacked by a mysterious figure. It butchered the others like they were fiends!" he said, panicking. "Calm, down. Don't panic, my son. I'm sure that we can-" before the High Priest could finish his sentence, he was silenced by terrified screams coming for the settlement outside. "What in the world? What is happening outside?" he questioned. After a few moments, the screams suddenly faded instantly.

There was an eerie feel all over the cathedral. It was deafeningly silent. "Come. W-We must see what's happened." Stated the High Priest. "Y-Y-Yes, Your h-h-holiness...." stuttered the Cleyran in fear. The two of them wandered outside where there was no one around. It was terrifyingly quite. "Your holiness, look!" said the Cleyran. The High Priest looked at where he was pointing and there were clothes scattered all over the settlement. Men's, women's and even children's garments were left unworn on the ground. There wasn't a soul in sight. "Who or what could have done this? It is a reprehensible thing!" stated the High Priest. As he spoke a shadow of a man appeared behind him, with glowing red eyes. The Cleyran turned around and froze with terror as to what was behind the High Priest. "Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Your h-h-h-h-h-holiness....." he stuttered, pointing at the shadow behind him. The High Priest turned around and mimicked his follower. He froze with terror, "H-Have mercy....." he uttered. Before they had a chance to run, they were engulfed in a goo-like substance. After that, the only sign of life in Cleyra's settlement was the evil cackle that echoed down the trunk.......


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The Gourmand Way

It was a few hours before midnight in Alexandria and Garnet's birthday party was still underway. The band was still playing flawlessly; most of the people were still dancing, including Zidane and co. The music had returned to an upbeat tune. Everyone was lively, apart from Quina's rival, Queldo, King Harold Mayer and the suspicious Amarant Coral. The red-headed monk still watched Zidane with sharp eyes, still doubting that nothing major happened in his year of absence.

After an enjoyable dance with Garnet, Zidane grew tired at headed for his seat. "Sorry, Dagger. I'm knackered! I need to sit down." He said. Garnet, who was also out of breath, nodded in agreement, "Yeah. (Huff-Heave) I think I'll do the same." She said and went back to her chair with Cid and Hilda. "Hey, Zidane!" Garnet called to her friend. Zidane turned his head and faced her, "Thanks for that dance. I really needed it." She said in gratitude. "No problem. I think I had as much fun as you did." He answered, and then sat down.

He looked around and saw Vivi showing his son, Bibi, how to cast a few magic spells, with which he had difficulty in doing. "Ha ha! Kids wanna grow up so fast." He laughed, "Problem is, when they do, they wish they were kids again." He added. Zidane further scanned his surroundings and found Eiko talking to Freya about something that seemed girly. _"Some things will never change...."_ he thought to himself with a friendly smile. He looked round and spotted Garnet talking to Cid and Hilda. She noticed Zidane and waved at him. And he waved back. Suddenly, a person's hand grabbed Zidane's shoulder, spun him round in his chair, and Zidane came face-to-face with Amarant. "Don't play dumb with me, Zidane! C'mon! Let's hear it!" he demanded. Zidane was surprised, "Erm... Hi. W-What are you talking about?" he asked, confused.

"You know what I'm talking about!" said Amarant in frustration. Zidane looked puzzled, "Uh...... No I don't." He informed the monk. "There's no way it would have taken you a week and three days to get here! I know that you're hiding something, Zidane! What were you up to in that space of time!? Tell me!" ordered Amarant. Zidane saw in his eyes that he knew and was dead serious. He looked around, cautiously, so that no one could hear them. ".... Alright, fine. You win Amarant. But I'm only telling _you_, understand? Don't tell any of the others." He pleaded. Amarant nodded, "As you wish." He said, letting the genome go from his grip. Zidane stood up and straightened his clothes. "Alright. I'll tell you everything: You're right. I would have been here far sooner than a day and three weeks. But when I woke up inside the Iifa Tree, not only was Kuja missing, but I got to Conde Petie and found out that all of the dwarves are dead." He explained. Amarants eyes widened, "What? _All_ of them? Dead?" he checked. Zidane nodded, with a serious look on his face. "Why should I believe you?" asked Amarant. "Hey! You asked for the truth and that's what you're getting!" Zidane declared. "Okay..... Carry on." Said Amarant.

"Anyway: I went to Madain Sari and found one of Eiko's moogles as the only inhabitant. All the others were killed in an earth quake, sadly. So, we worked together and made the little boat that was in the harbour more durable for the oceans choppy waves. But he showed me something he found earlier: a meteorite that had hit Gaia a few miles away from Madain Sari." Informed Zidane. "A meteorite?" assured Amarant. "Yeah. But that wasn't all. After I inspected it, I came to the conclusion that something that was inside it was now on Gaia. And we found a maimed corpse outside the crater. And one other thing, I didn't think much of it at the time, but I saw a strange yellow glow coming from beneath the boat in the harbour. Anyway, sooner or later, I found out that whatever was inside the meteorite hadn't left, and it killed Chimomo in cold blood!" Zidane explained. "Chimomo?" asked Amarant. "Yeah. Eiko's moogle. So I tracked the killer down and found him in Qu's Marsh on the Outer Continent. Turned out that it had made itself look like the dead body that we found and, even freakier, it could use any of our techniques against me." Amarant's mouth gaped open, "But.... That's impossible! Any of us?" he asked. Zidane nodded.

"So after a ton of battles with this guy, who called himself Ares, I chased him in the boat when he fled into the sea. I ended up running into him in the middle of a storm. After fighting him, yet again, we both got swallowed up by a tsunami, and were washed up on a beach near Cleyra the next day. It seemed like a minute to me though." He claimed. "That's probably because you were light headed at the time. Being caught up in a tidal wave and surviving doesn't come without a catch, you know." Explained Amarant. "Anyway, I chased Ares to Cleyra where we fought and, thanks to Trance, I was able to finally beat him. No one's heard from him since. Well, that's about it, in a nutshell. Pretty crazy, right?" said Zidane. "That was an interesting story, I got one question though." He stated, "Go on." Said Zidane. "By the sounds of it, this Ares guy was as bad, if not, worse than Kuja was. Are you absolutely sure that you killed him?" he asked. "Well, I vaporized half of his body. No one could survive that. Could they?" He assured Amarant. "I've never heard of anyone doing so. Was he the one that killed all of the dwarves?" he asked. "Yeah. He turned his fingers into these tentacles of some weird goo-like stuff that absorbs other things. That's how he got them." Zidane replied.

Suddenly, Queldo approached them. "What you two dimwits whispering about?" he asked, harshly. The two of them glared at the Qu, "Hey, we don't want any trouble." Said Zidane. "Well, you got trouble if you friends with that insolent fool, Quina." s/he stated. "You obviously have no idea who you're messing with. Now get outta here before I rip you a new asshole!" threatened Amarant. Queldo glared at the monk, "You have big mouth! It would be shame if I had shut it!" s/he retaliated. "Are you challenging me, Queldo!?" yelled Amarant. "Challenge you? You not worth my time!" s/he insulted and walked off. "Man! That genderless thing is a complete jerk!" stated Zidane. "S/he no always been like that." A voice said behind them. The two bandits turned around and saw Quina. "Hey, Quina. We can see why you hate him/her." Said Zidane. "S/he used be my friend, long time ago. S/he changed for worse." Quina explained. "What happened between you two, anyway?" asked Amarant. "We from same tribe, but we used have different masters. We remained friends, keeping in touch, exchanging munchies and practice gourmand knowledge. There lots of Qu's back then, not many now. That because humans started understand ways of cooking lots good food. Not much need for gourmands. Because no one want Qu for cooking, we die out, lack of gil, no work. Qu's no could afford to survive, it odd. Queldo's master passed away, left him with nothing. My old master perish as well, but I lucky. Master Quale had choice between me or him/her and s/he picked me. It destroyed Queldo, s/he had nothing left. No family, no friends, no teacher. It as if goodness, itself, betray him/her and, then, Qu I knew as friend gone: another casualty. That why s/he no like me anymore." Quina explained.

Zidane was slightly shocked. "Geez, Quina..... What you and Queldo went through.... I had no idea." He said. "That why I no say anything. I no like draw attention to myself." Said Quina. "So now s/he's become this twisted Qu who doesn't like anything." Stated Amarant. "That not all. S/he pervert as well! I catch him/her looking at women. Observe." Explained Quina, pointing over at a table that Eiko, Beatrix, Freya and Ruby were sat at, and Queldo was approaching them.

"Ugh! That Queldo is such a nuisance! And I thought Quina was bad!" stated Eiko. "Don't fret, Eiko. We probably won't see him/her again after tonight. Just relax and ignore him/her." Advised Freya. Both of them looked down at the table when they saw the Qu approaching them. "So, where did Quina run off to?" s/he asked. "In the moat! Why don't you jump in a look for him/her!?" insulted Eiko. Queldo chuckled."S/he probably too ashamed to show his/her face around _true_ gourmand." s/he said. "You're misinformed! I know that Quina can be loopy, but s/he has cooked much finer dishes that you have in the past." Stated Beatrix. "I know it hard being friends to that loser, but there no need to make up silly stories!" denied Queldo. The Qu's vision slowly dropped to her chest, "You no need stay with Quina. I could use girl like you." S/he remarked. "I'm not interested. Now leave!" she demanded. "I see by your posture that you upset. No worry, I know it tough. Quina is.... irregular, shall I put it? I give you much better time, general." Said Queldo. Beatrix stood up with irritation, "I can't believe I'm hearing this! You're staff! In fact, you're not even that! You were hired to cook, not mingle! Now get back to the kitchen before I lose my temper!" she yelled.

Queldo laughed, "I no can believe you yelling at me! It proves my power!" declared the Qu. Beatrix turned her back to him/her in disgust. Queldo turned his attention to Ruby, who was resting her eyes. The Qu peered down to try and get a peek down her cleavage. "Hey, lady! You awake or what?" s/he asked. Ruby didn't do anything. She sat resting her head on her arm with her eyes shut. Queldo continued to stare at her chest. "Mam? Hello?" s/he uttered. Ruby opened her eyes with an angry look, "Shut yer hole! What's a girl gotta do to get a moments peace!?" she yelled. Queldo grinned when Ruby leaned forward, as s/he gained a better view of her cleavage. The female actress soon realised what s/he was doing, however. "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! You pervert!" she screamed shielding her chest with her arms. Beatrix, Freya and Eiko gasped at the scene, as did everyone at the party. Garnet spat out her drink everywhere with surprise. Blank rushed over to Ruby, "What's wrong Ruby? Why did you scream?" he asked. "That filthy thing was oglin' me!" she stated pointing at Queldo. The Qu frowned at her expression towards him/her. Everyone started to crowd round them.

"Uh-oh! It's kicking off!" said Zidane as he ran over to the scene and was followed by Amarant. Quina stayed behind. Harold pushed through the crowd and approached Queldo. "Why you- You are at a party! Not a strip club! Get back to the kitchen or we will not pay you!" he ordered. Queldo became angry, "NO!" s/he shouted. "Harold gasped with shock at his/her objection. "What did you just say!?" he scowled. "I say 'no'! You like that? NO!" Queldo repeated. Everyone was muttering with surprise at the event. Garnet made her way to the front of the crowd, "What's going on here!?" she asked. "The substitute master chef is being disobedient! S/he was caught ogling Miss Ruby!" Beatrix informed her. Garnet glared at Queldo, "You! Queldo! I will not tolerate this kind of behaviour! I demand that you go back to the kitchen at once! Or leave!" she ordered. "How dare you speak to me like that! You no can give me orders! I not one of your servants!" shouted Queldo. "Yes, that's correct. But we are paying you to cook! You will not get paid unless you do just that!" she yelled.

Zidane approached the infuriated Qu. "What are you doing? It isn't nice to peek down a ladies dress! You should learn some manners!" he stated. "Shut up! Filthy monkey!" insulted Queldo. Steiner stepped forward, "Don't be so disrespectful! That is no way to be talking to Zidane Tribal!" he declared. "I no care _who_ he is! He waste of life!" shouted the Qu. Everyone gasped at his/her most recent remark in disgust. Even Zidane was surprised to hear it. "You warped Quina's mind! Made him/her more like you! More of weakling!" shouted Queldo. Vivi butted in, "Hey! Don't talk about Quina like that! S/he is twice the cook that you'll ever be!" he yelled. Quina smiled at Vivi's kind words.

Then, bristling with rage, Queldo grabbed Vivi's collar and picked him up. "So, descent spreads throughout ranks! You mindless golem spawned from mist! And, you share in Quina's fate!" he threatened as he charged up a spell to attack the defenceless mage. Vivi hung from Queldo's grasp unable to do anything as he awaited his death at the hands of the twisted Qu. Quina watched from the background, having seen enough of his/her rivals disrespect and threats. Women screamed at what Queldo was doing. "VIVI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" cried Zidane, as did Garnet Freya, Eiko, Steiner, Beatrix, Tantalus, Cid and Hilda. "DADDY!!!!!!!!" cried the young black mages. Harold backed away when light emitted from Queldo's free hand as he charged up his spell to kill Vivi. Amarant armed his claws, ready to attack the Qu.

"GET BACK!!!!" cried a voice from behind everyone. The crowd parted to reveal Quina glaring at Queldo. "UUUAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" screamed Quina as he launched an Aqua Breath attack on his rival. The blast of water tore through the air towards the Qu. S/he had no time to react and was hit directly in the stomach and s/he cried out with pain. The force of the powerful attack dragged Queldo into the air and away from Alexandria, thus saving Vivi's life. The young black mage fell to the floor in relief. Everyone, after a few moments of silence cheered to see the defeat of the trouble causing Master Chef substitute. Zidane walked over to his black mage friend and offered his hand. "Hey. You alright, Vivi?" he asked. He took the genomes hand and stood upright, "....Yeah.... I'm okay, just a little bit dazed...." he answered. "Daddy!" cried multiple voices from the crowd. Vivi looked up and saw his children running up to him. All six of them hugged their father, relieved that he was ok. Quina approached them, "Quina.... That was amazing!" said Freya. The Qu looked down at the young black mage, "I sorry s/he hurt you, Vivi." Quina said. "Thanks, Quina. For saving my life." He said and they shook hands.

Everyone clapped Quina for ridding them of his/her rival. "So. What do you think happened to Queldo?" asked Zidane. "His/her head be sore for awhile, but s/he not perish." Quina replied. "Well done, Quina!" congratulated Garnet. "Whoa! That was wicked, Quina!" complimented Tantalus. The Qu received further expressions from the townspeople. Suddenly an Alexandrian chef came running through the crowd, "Oh no! What are we going to do!? We don't have a master chef! We need one or else there will be no more food!" he cried. Everyone turned to Quina. The Qu put on a brave face and stepped up, "I Master Chef! No more cheap replacements!" s/he stated. Zidane and co. cheered him/her as s/he headed for the kitchen, as did the crowd.

Then, everyone relaxed and returned to their seats as they enjoyed the rest of Garnet's birthday party...


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The Festival of the Hunt

In what seemed like hours, two days had passed since the party. Zidane and Tantalus had stayed in Alexandria for both days and were getting ready to head back to Lindblum in time for the Festival of the Hunt. Regent Cid, Queen Hilda and Eiko had gone back the day after the party. Amarant left during the party while Quina remained at the castle's kitchen. Freya had returned to Burmecia with her people and Vivi went back to the Black Mage Village with his children. Garnet and Harold remained inside the castle ever since the celebration ended. Steiner and Beatrix also stayed within the castle.

"Right. This is the last of the boxes, boss." Cinna informed Baku. "Ok boys! Let's go through the check list: Airship, house. Set, house. Props, house. Lights, mm-hm. South Gate Pass, got it. Cinna, house." Baku read. "Hey!" complained Cinna at the last item. "Gwahahahahaha! That's everythin'!" Baku confirmed. Blank and Marcus came in with their belongings, "We're here boss!" they panted after running for the airship. "I can see that, ya morons!" stated Baku. The Nero Brothers followed the two thieves and rushed inside the Prima Vista. "Get movin' ya Déjà Vu milkers! Go, go, go, go, go, go!" yelled their leader. "Ruby! Get yer butt on the airship! Yer comin' back with us!" he yelled. "Alrighty boss!" she responded and boarded the theatre ship. "Right, all were waiting for now is Zidane. Where is he?" he questioned. They all looked around and found no sign of Zidane.

The young genome was sitting by the moat that surrounded the castle, looking ominously at the sight. He sat with his legs crossed and his tail in a semi circle, twitching and swaying gently in the calm breeze. _"She's a married woman now........ I still can't believe it....... To think that my friends, the people I trust, never told me about this."_ He thought. Zidane hopped to his feet and took one last look at Alexandria Castle. "I doubt I'll ever come back here...... So long Dagger, have a great life as a Queen." Said Zidane. Then, he made his way up the steps and back to the theatre ship.

"Ok, now I'm getting pissed off! If I count to ten, and he isn't here, were going without him!" declared Baku in a fury. He started to count just as Zidane arrived, "Whoa, whoa! Hold it boss, I'm here!" he informed his leader. Baku turned around and raised his fist, "You little—" he started before Zidane interrupted, "Hey, hey, hey! Who saved the world from certain peril?" the genome reminded the angered oaf. Baku thought for a second and lowered his fist. "Fine.... Just don't be late again. Ok, Blank! Fire her up!" ordered Baku. The Prima Vista reacted a few moments after Baku's voice. Sooner or later, it was in mid air and on its way back to Lindblum. The Alexandrian citizens waved the troupe off as they headed home.

"By the way Zidane. Tomorrow, we'll be coming back here." Said Baku. "What? Why?" asked Zidane. Everyone looked at him slightly astonished. The genome looked round at his fellow actors. "What? Hey! I've been in a coma for a year! How are you all surprised!" he yelled. "It's the peace ceremony! The four nations have arranged to declare peace. The ceremony is taking place in Alexandria tomorrow. Everyone's gonna be there. _Everyone!_" Marcus explained. "GEEZ! WHY DOSE NO ONE TELL ME ANYTHING! It was bad enough keeping Daggers commitment a secret from me but this just takes the biscuit!" yelled Zidane."We're sorry, Zidane. We were all caught up with work, what with the play an' all." Exclaimed Ruby. Zidane calmed down and headed for the front of the airship. "Just leave me alone for a bit. I need to come to terms with things." He said. "Sure. Whatever you want, bro." Answered Blank, and everyone apart from Zidane went inside. He stood behind the female statue on the front of the airship, working things out in his mind.

Hours later, they had passed through South Gate and returned to Lindblum. Tantalus returned to their hideout while Zidane made his way to the castle. The guards formally allowed his to proceed to Cid's chamber. As soon as he entered, he was greeted by Eiko. "Hey, Zidane! How do you feel?" she asked, concerned. "Fine thanks, yourself?" he replied. "I mean, about... Well.... You know..." she carefully said. Zidane scratched his head. "She means how do you feel about Garnet being married to Harold?" Cid simplified. "Oh right. I'm trying not to think about it." Zidane answered. "You do well." Complimented Hilda, "We won't talk about that either." She added. "Good idea." Said Zidane, he then turned to Cid. "Hey Cid, I what to enter the Festival of The Hunt. Is there still time left to sign up?" he asked. "No need to register, Zidane. I reserved a place for you if you ever wanted to enter." Cid answered. "Awesome! You entering Eiko? You're pretty tough." Asked Zidane. Eiko shook her head, "No, I'm a princess now! I've got better things to do that to fight monsters." She answered, "Besides, after all this time, all of us have become weaker. We've been living peaceful lives, no fighting. We're not the warriors that we were. Well, Amarant, Steiner, Freya and Beatrix are. But me and everyone else have lost our will to fight." She stated. "I see. Well, I guess that makes sense. No need for action means a drop in ability." Pondered Zidane. "Anyway, the festival starts soon, Zidane. You'd better find out where your start point is." Informed Cid. "Yeah, you're right. I'll be off then. See you later. Wish me luck guys!" Zidane called as he hurried out of the room. "We will!" they all called back.

Zidane made his way to the guest room where several contestants had gathered. He looked around and recognised none of them. "Man, feels kinda different by myself." He said to himself. There was a board pinned to the wall. On the board was a list of the contestants and their start points. Zidane skimmed down the list to find his name while seeing the names of a few other participants'. "Well, we got a lot of different kind of people in here: Schmidt, Renzo, Boyle, Klein, Reas, Jimbo and.... huh?" he said as he read the names, but was stopped when he saw a name he recognised. He looked around the room and found the matching man; it was no other that Sir 'Iron Tail' Fratley.

The genome pushed through the crowd and made his way to the legendary Burmecian dragon knight who was leaning quietly against the wall. "Hey, Sir Fratley!" Zidane called out from the crowd. Fratley looked around and spotted Zidane as he approached him. The Burmecian stood loyally before him, "My word. This is indeed an honour, Sir Zidane." He said, politely. Zidane groaned, "Don't call m 'sir'. Zidane is my name, _Zidane_. I don't like being called sir." He explained. Fratley chuckled lightly, "As you wish. Zidane. What brings you here?" he asked. "The Festival of the Hunt, what else? I assume you're here for the same reason." Explained Zidane. Fratley nodded, "Yes I am. This annual event is a perfect way to test a warriors skill." He answered. "You know, Freya entered last year. Me and her hand to team up to kill the massive hog thing." Zidane informed Fratley. "Ahh, yes. Dear Freya. She is truly one of a kind. She has told me all about your adventures." Said Fratley. "I bet she has. So, your here to be the best of the best huh. The Master Hunter?" asked Zidane. "The Master Hunter award is not really an achievement. It is merely a check point in one's life. It's the gate way to a new challenge where one must fend for his or her title." Fratley explained. "Not bad. You should write that one down." Said Zidane.

Then, Minister Artaina entered the room and called for attention. "Order please! Simmer down, simmer down. I assume that you have all prepared yourself for the Festival of the Hunt. Now everyone must go to their appointed start points. Some warriors are waiting in the city. Regent Cid, Queen Hilda and Lady Eiko wish you all the best of luck." He announced. The room erupted with cheering as the warriors made their way to the air cab station. Zidane and Sir Fratley followed closely behind the bunch of eager fighters. "So, where are you starting at, Fratley?" asked Zidane. "In the Industrial District, yourself?" he asked. "I'm starting in the Business District this time. Good luck." Replied Zidane as he boarded the air cab, "And to you." Answered Fratley, then the air cab took off and went to the Business District.

When it landed, the group of warriors rushed out into the streets that were overrun with monsters like Mu's, Fangs and Trick Sparrows. Zidane looked around and drew his knives. "Ok, let's roll...." he said.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Hunter's Chance

Zidane headed for the city centre as all the other festival participants went their own ways. The time had already started and monsters were crawling everywhere. "I wonder what the special specimen is this year..." pondered Zidane. He jogged past a house when, suddenly, a Fang leaped out in front of him. It growled at him as it drooled, its hind legs were at an angle as it readied to attack Zidane. The genome smirked cleverly, "Bring it on fluffy." He mocked. The monster leaped at him at top speed, ready to bite Zidane's neck. He, however, was much too fast for the Fang. Thus, Zidane dodged it and sliced it in half with one swipe of his blade, gaining himself 12 points. The Fang fell lifelessly to the ground and twitched a couple of times as it died. "All too easy." Zidane stated and carried on. He took a few steps forward before a Trick Sparrow homed in on him from above and pecked him on the head. "Ow!" he yelped, rubbing his head where the bird struck him. Zidane turned his head to see the Trick Sparrow swooping round to attack him again. "Oh, no you don't!" he said as he help his blade out to let the bird fly into it as it didn't have time to slow down or avoid it.

The genome threw the bird on the ground and rushed to the city centre. He found a couple of other fighters in combat against Fang's and Mu's. Then, out of nowhere, a Magic Vice jumped down behind him, stole one of his daggers and ran away. "Hey! That's mine!" he yelled after it before giving chase. The Magic Vice climbed up the church and onto the rooftops. Zidane followed closely. The critter leaped from building to building, trying to lose Zidane, but the genome didn't deviate. He tried to grab it but it seemed to slim from his grasp like soap in a prison. "Get back here with my dagger, you freak!" Zidane cried, irritated at the Magic Vice's constant cackling.

Meanwhile, the monster tamer stood on top of the wall that passed over a gate that leads to a pen which house the special specimen. He grinned, pleased with his monster of the year that had not been released yet. A guard approached him, "Sir, is it time?" he asked. The tamer chuckled, "That's up to you. But make your mind up quick or 'he' will knock the gate down and be released anyway." He answered. The guard looked sceptical, "Is it that Zaghnol thing again?" asked the guard, worryingly. The tamer turned to him, "Oh no.... This year specimen makes the Zaghnol seem like an atom. No one can stop 'him'." He answered eerily. Then, a loud bang sounded and the wall they were standing on rocked. The guard gripped his weapon tightly, "What on earth was that!?" he cried. The tamer chuckled and peered over the wall, "That's 'him'. He's growing restless. He already knocked a hole in your 'secure' gate." He explained. "What!? No way!" denied the guard. He hurried over next to the tamer and gazed down upon the huge cavity that had been punctured in the steel gate. The guard gulped, "Open the gate, quick! Or he'll bust through the damn thing!" he ordered, and the gate soon rose. Both the tamer and the guard stood in awe at the gigantic purple mass that emerged from behind the wall. "Wow! That's 'him'!?" asked the guard, "Amazing, isn't it? Its horns could tear through anything like it was butter. Don't get him upset, or that beautiful death machine will do what nature intended it to do, namely, eat you with a smile on its face!" Exclaimed the tamer. The guard watched 'him' enter the Lindblum. "Man, I feel sorry for those guys..... I think we'd better double our infirmary staff." He uttered.

Meanwhile, in the Business district, Zidane continued to chase the Magic Vice for his dagger. It leaped from building to building, street to street, barely outrunning Zidane as he got closer and closer with each step. "Oh man, this is taking up valuable time!" he said to himself. They passed monsters and participants alike all around the Business District in their chase. Finally, the Magic Vice stumbled, allowing Zidane to catch up with it and catch it. The genome dived on top of the mischievous critter, restraining it beneath his body weight. The trapped creature struggled desperately to get loose, squirming and shrieking in an attempt to throw his catcher off-guard, but to no avail. Zidane grabbed the hand that the Magic Vice held his dagger in and wrestled with it, brutally, to reclaim his weapon. "Give it here, green man! That's mine!" he mocked as he tussled with the thief. The Magic Vice shrieked at him further and struck him with its staff, but Zidane didn't falter and eventually pried its hand open and stole back his knife. Then, Zidane hopped to his feet, wrapped his tail around the Magic Vice's leg and rapidly launched it into the air. The critter screamed out loud for the whole of Lindblum to hear, but was silenced when Zidane leaped up after it and impaled his dagger through its stomach. Zidane then raised his other dagger and decapitated the creature and it fell lifelessly to the ground.

Zidane landed seconds after, "That's the end of him." He said, triumphantly. Suddenly, an entire pack of Mus' surrounded him as fast as lightning. The squirmed and growled at him, ready to pounce at will. Zidane smirked, "You obviously don't know who you're messing with!" he yelled as the Mus' jumped at him and he formed his swallow blade and cut them all down in an instant. They all plunged to the ground, dead. Their red blood stained their blue and white fur. The genome moved on towards the air cab station in search of larger monsters, slicing his way through attacking creatures.

As he headed passed the gysahl pickles stall, he saw it completely crushed by a tremendous weight and there, lying next to it, was a deceased participant. "What in the name of..... What did this?" he wondered right before a Fang jumped on him from behind. It pinned Zidane to the floor with its claws embedded in his back. He wailed out in pain as it scratched his shoulder, leaving deep wounds. It drooled all over his face and was about to go for the neck before Zidane reached his dagger and stabbed it in the mouth, right before it bit him. Blood tricked from the Fangs mouth as it fell dead on its side. Zidane climbed to his feet and removed his weapon from the creature's mouth. He looked at the stall and the corpse of the man, wondering what could be so powerful. Then, he carried on to the air cab and took a ride to the Theatre district.

When he got there, he exited the station to find a young girl being attacked by a Trick Sparrow. "Aaaahhhhh! Help me! Help me!" she screamed in terror. Zidane jumped to the girl's aid but the agile bird dodged him and casted Drain. The genome felt a portion of his energy leave him and enter the Trick Sparrow. Irritated, Zidane turned around and threw his blade at the bird. The dagger pierced the sparrow's torso, quickly ending its life. It fell to the ground and twitched nauseously. Zidane reclaimed his weapon but as he turned around to carry on, the young girl leaped at him and threw her arms around his neck. "My hero! Thank you!" she said, alluringly. Zidane took his chance and squeezed her behind, which resulted in the girl yelping. She quickly backed away from him with a scarlet red face. Zidane chuckled, "C'mon, I deserved a little feel for saving you right? It _is_ fair." He reassured her. The girl couldn't help but giggle at his cheekiness and confidence. "Your one feisty guy, aren't you. I'll see you later, lover boy." She said as she kissed him on the cheek and got to safety in the station. Zidane smirked, "Still got it." He said, smugly and went down the steps to his hideout.

The door was boarded up to prevent a monster intrusion. Then, Zidane heard monsters growling at the theatre below. He rushed down the steps and found a group Fangs cornering an old man. The man spotted Zidane on the stairs, "Hey! You over there! A little help here!" he called. Zidane jumped to their level and stood on the defence, "Over here boys!" he said. The Fangs looked round and turned their attention to Zidane. "Run! Now!" he ordered. The old man fled up the stairs as fast as he could, "Thanks lad! I owe you one!" he called back. The Fangs growled at Zidane as they crept closer to him. The genome formed his swallow blade, "C'mon!" he yelled at them. On that note, the trio of Fangs attacked him with their claws. Zidane slashed back at them, but they dodged him, then, one of them sunk its teeth into his arms, which resulted in a loud scream from Zidane. Blood oozed from the teeth marks after he forced the monster away. As quick as a flash, the Fang went for him again, but Zidane quickly sliced it in two before it reached him.

One of the other Fangs head butted him which caused Zidane to lose his grip on his weapon and he dropped it. He had no time to retrieve it before the two remaining Fangs forced him inside the theatre. He backed into the corner and there was no way out. The Fangs had trapped him and he was defenceless with his sword. Zidane shut his eyes, expecting the inevitable. But then, he heard the Fangs shrieking in pain. He opened his eyes and saw that the Fangs were outside again. One was hanging from something, and appeared to be dead, while to other one watched in horror and ran away. Amazed Zidane remained inside until the hanging Fang disappeared.

Cautious, Zidane tip toed ever so quietly to the large door way of the theatre. He crept as silently as he could, edging along the wall. Sweat was pouring from his face and his heart was beat rapidly with all the tension. He saw his swallow blade on the ground a meter and a half away. He carefully looked around and found no trace of any kind of life. Then, he quickly rushed to his weapon and reclaimed it again, holding it tighter than ever. He looked in all directions, keeping his blade close to him. After inspecting his surroundings he let out a sigh of relief. "What happened? I thought I was a dead man for sure!" he wondered. There was no trace of the other Fang anywhere. It was only seconds before he noticed the faint and heavy breathing coming from behind him.

Zidane froze instantly, not moving a muscle. His stomach tightened and his heart started to beat even faster. Sweat trickled down his face and tickled his nose. His lips felt chapped and his feet were itching. Slowly, he turned his head around towards the theatre and found nothing. Then, at the top right-hand corner of his eye he noticed that dead fang still hanging in the air. He slowly looked up to discover that it was hanging on air at all. There, on the roof of the theatre, with the Fang in its mouth, gazing down at him was a gigantic, purple Behemoth. Blood dripped from its mouth and horns, its yellow mane flowed in the light breeze, its tail swished from side to side with its red, aquatic tail fin lagging behind in movement. It's red eyes glared at Zidane who was standing, helpless before the enormous mass that overshadowed him. The only thing he could think to do was to utter the word "Bugger."


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Impossible to Kill

The Behemoth sat on top of the theatre, with the dead fang hanging from its mouth, gazing down at Zidane. It was breathing heavily and growling deeply. Its drool trickled down the wall to the ground, creating a little puddle of the Behemoth's saliva. Its tail swished from side to side as it waited, intently, for Zidane to make a move. Blood covered the tip of its horns and claws.

Zidane, short of ideas, stood motionless as he started back at the enormous creature perched on the theatre roof. _"Where the heck did they find one of those?"_ he thought. The tension between them was building quickly. Neither of them made a move or sound, it was scarily silent. The only sounds that could be heard were the faint shouts and yells of men and monsters as the Festival of the Hunt continued. The Behemoths bulging red eyes continued to glare upon Zidane Tribal, who appeared as though a mage had casted 'Stop' on him. Even his tail was completely still. His heart was pounding within his chest and his brain was aching with thinking of solutions to this seriously dangerous predicament. One move could send the Behemoth crashing down after him. At this point, however, that event seemed inevitable. All Zidane needed was a good game plan, but, unfortunately, his brain wasn't with him today.

"_The tensions killing me! I can't put up with it anymore..... This bastard ain't smarter than me."_ He thought. Suddenly, the tension was broken as Zidane darted for the stairs as quickly as he could. He didn't have it in him to turn back, but he could feel the vibration that the Behemoth sent through the ground as it jumped down from the theatre to pursue him. He climbed the stairs as quickly as he could; even straining himself to try and escape the 10 tons of purple death chased him. Zidane could hear and feel the loud thuds that it made when moving. The genome sprinted past the hideout, up the stairs and into Michael's workshop. It was empty during the festival. He jumped down the ledge, ignoring the steps and got as far back as he could against the wall. Seconds later, the massive Behemoth rammed into the building and shattered the frame of the door, giving it room to stick its head inside and try to snatch Zidane up.

The genome backed into the left hand corner so that he was as far away from the beast as possible. He drew his daggers and stayed on the defence. The Behemoth struggled violently to get further inside the workshop. It swung its huge head from side to side whilst roaring loudly as it wrecked the whole room. Tools were scattered all over the floor and Michael's paintings were ruined in the monsters warpath. It had completely devoured the Fang and no trace of it was left in its mouth. The Behemoths bellows shook the room and forced Zidane to take cover under his arms. The creature impaled its razor sharp horns in to the wall opposite the door and scattered bricks everywhere. One hit pelted Zidanes arm, resulting in a yelp of pain and shock. The genome did his absolute best to stay away from the monster. It continued to rip a hole for its head to fit through; forcing its way inside the workshop. Then, it reached out as far as it could to try and bite down on Zidane. The genome took his chance and slashed the fiends jaw. "Take that you bastard!!!" Zidane yelled. Blood squirted from its wound and it wailed with pain. It drove its horns through the roof in its tantrum, bringing more bricks crashing down on Zidane.

As it was facing upwards in rage, Zidane dashed forward and stabbed the creature in its vulnerable neck. It let out a second, louder screech and pulled its head out of the workshop. It rolled around on the ground, roaring at the top of its lungs. The genome escaped from the destroyed workshop and formed his swallow blade. After a few moments, the Behemoth regained its stance and faced Zidane. "C'mon." Ordered Zidane. The huge bellowed in anger and charged straight at him with full force. Before it heaved him, Zidane skidded underneath it and slashed its back legs, causing it to topple over to the ground.

As it got back up it curled its tail and lowered its head. "Huh? What's it doing?" Zidane wondered. Before he knew it, a meteor came crashing down and slammed into Zidane before he had a chance to dodge. The explosion sent him 3 meters across the ground. The genome climbed to his feet and spotted the Behemoth in the reflection of his dagger about to strike him. He quickly dodged in the nick of time, rebounded off the ground and buried his steel into the Behemoths back. It bellowed loudly and attempted to shake Zidane off its back, causing the genome to drop one of his daggers. Zidane twisted his remaining dagger into the wound and blood quickly oozed out and covered his chest and arm. The Behemoth ran around in circles and jumped into the air, trying to get Zidane off its back. The genome shoved his weapon further into the wound and twisted it further, making the monsters shriek in pain. Eventually, he lost his grip and was launched off the creatures back.

The Behemoth turned to face Zidane again and charged at him, horns first. With seconds to formulate a plan, the genome spotted his dagger a foot away from him. He managed to avoid the monster and grab his knife. Then, the beast bit down into Zidane's leg, making him cry out in agony. It lifted him of the ground and swung him from side to side. Dazed from the pain, Zidane managed to get a tight grip on his dagger. His blood from his leg wound was staining his white shirt red. When the chance rose, Zidane swung round and stabbed the Behemoth in the eye. The pain filled roar that followed was so loud that it almost deafened Zidane and everyone in Lindblum could hear it. Blood poured down the Behemoths face as it shrieked out loud. With his other arm, Zidane forced the dagger deeper into its face until the entire blade was within its eye. Suddenly, the monster stopped screaming and everything fell silent. Then, the Behemoth fell to the floor, dead. Zidane had pierced its brain.

The genome crawled away from the jaws of the beast after he removed his dagger from its eye. He slowly crawled round to the other side of the monster and reclaimed his other dagger. Zidane sprawled out across the floor, covered in the Behemoths blood. His leg had deep wound s from the creature's teeth. Then, a loud bell sounded throughout Lindblum. "Participants! Time is up! Everyone has been monitored and scores have been totalled. The winner of this year's Festival of the Hunt is............................................. Zidane Tribal with a staggering 367 points!!!!!" a voice over said. The genome barley had it in him to cheer. Then, paramedics emerged from the air cab station. "There he is!" said one of them. They approached Zidane, moved him gently onto the stretcher and carried him back to the castle.

Later on, Zidane's eyes fluttered open and he found himself in the infirmary. He looked around to see doctors and nurses rushing around after injured participants. Most of them were yelling and screaming in pain. His leg was bandaged up and his clothes were in a neat pile next to him, washed and dried. He was wearing white pyjamas. "Zidane! You're awake!" cried Eiko in joy was rushed up and sat in the chair next to him. "Hey, Eiko. You ok?" he asked with his familiar smile. "Am _I_ ok? You're the one in hospital! You've been out for an hour now." she informed him. Zidane laughed at her, "Boisterous as ever, ha ha." He chuckled. "You won, Zidane! You won! How on earth did you kill that Behemoth by yourself?" she asked. "Grit, spit and a whole lot of metal." He joked. They both laughed. A man with a check board approached them, "Ah, Zidane. You're awake. You have won first prize, congratulations." He said, crossing Zidane off his check board. "Thank you. This was the toughest one yet. Easily." Stated Zidane. "Alright then, you may go and see Regent Cid to collect the Master Hunter and your chosen reward. What was it again?" asked the man. "Gil." Answered Zidane. "Oh yes, of course, I'll see you soon." He said, "Wait. Has Sir Fratley come back yet?" asked Zidane. The man checked his board, "No. He's not returned yet." He answered and walked off.

Zidane looked concerned. "What's wrong?" asked Eiko. "Don't you think Fratley would be back by now?" he asked. "Maybe he got held up by some fans." She suggested. Zidane shook his head, "I don't think so, he's the type that would ignore them." He said. "He'll be back soon." She said, "Just relax; you need your leg to heal. A lot of people still need to comeback yet." Informed Eiko. Zidane laid back into the pillows of his bed, "Yeah, ok." He said.

An hour later, there was still no sign of Fratley. Eiko had gone back to the royal chamber. Zidane was filled with concern for his missing friend. No one seemed to be doing anything about it. "Hey! You!" he called to a nurse. She walked over to him, "Can I help you, sir?" she asked. "Yeah, where the heck is Sir Fratley? He should be back by now." He said. Erm, I'm not sure. Just wait, I'm certain he'll be back soon." She said. "I don't think so. We're talking about one of the most powerful dragon knights that ever lived! He should be back by now. Can't you send a team of guards out to find him?" he demanded. "I'm sorry, I have no authority to perform such an action." She answered. "Fine! If you won't go, I will!" he declared, climbing out of bed. The nurse rushed over to him, "Sir Zidane! You must rest!" she insisted. "No time for rest! He could be in danger for all we know!" he snapped. Zidane unravelled his bandage but left his wound covered up. He quickly got dressed, grabbed his daggers and headed for the door with a slight limp. "Sir Zidane! I cannot allow this, even for your sake! If you leave, I'll have to call security!" she informed him. "Do your worst! Just remember who you're talking to!" he called back as he ran out of the infirmary.

"Fratley said he was in the Industrial District. I'll go there first." He said to himself. Suddenly, he was ambushed by four guards in the airship dock. "Sir Zidane! We demand that you stand down! You're fussing over nothing!" one of the guards insisted. "Move it! I need to find Sir Fratley! He could be in danger!" Zidane ordered. "I'm sorry sir, but we cannot comply." Informed the guard as he and the others gripped their pick axes. "Just remember that I fought against the eternal darkness and won. What can a few guards do?" said Zidane. All four of them stood motionless, realising the futility of their actions. Zidane casually walked past them towards the air cab station. He climbed aboard and got a lift to the Industrial District.

As soon as he got there, he rushed outside. He looked around and saw Sir Fratley leaning against the stature of Cid the VIII, covered in wounds. "Fratley!" called Zidane as he rushed over to him. The dragon knight looked up "Zidane.... You're (cough) here!" he uttered. "What happened to you!? You're bleeding!" Zidane cried. "Ugh! Their just scraps! Zidane, you have to help me. I'm being stalked!" begged Sir Fratley. "Huh? Stalked?" asked Zidane. "Yes. After the hunt was over, I was on my way back when I was attacked by a mad man. I tried to fight back, with everything I had, but he was too strong." Fratley explained. "Who could be so strong as to throw you around like a rag doll? Your Sir 'Iron Tail' Fratley of Burmecia for crying out loud!" said Zidane. "I'm aware of that, but this villain is stronger than I am. I managed to escape him but he's still after me. He could even.... (Gasp!)" Fratley began. He listened carefully. "What is it?" asked Zidane. "He's here...... I can smell him, he's watching us." He answered, quietly.

Zidane looked in every direction for any sign of life. He held onto his daggers firmly and took a defensive stance. Fratley got on his feet and copied Zidane. Then, from behind them, a bolt of energy was fired at them. The both jumped to dodge in opposite directions. Zidane landed and watched the bolt smash into the stairs, leaving a huge cavity. "Phew... That was close." He said to himself. "ZIDANE!" cried Fratley, urgently. The genome turned his head to see the dragon knight pointing at him. "LOOK OUT! HE'S BEHIND YOU!" he shouted. "What!? Behind me!?" Zidane called back. On that note, Zidane heard someone breathing behind him. He was ever so close. Then, the voice started to laugh. The laugh spurted one of Zidane's memories. The thought surfaced and Zidane became filled with horror. "No........... It can't be...... Not him! He's dead!" Zidane uttered. He quickly turned around to come face to face with a very much alive Ares. He appeared undamaged from their last fight. "Hello, Tribal. You recognise me don't you? AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" laughed the sinister alien.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

The Greatest Surprise

"Been a long time, Tribal. You know who I am don't you?" said Ares with his trademark evil filled grin on his face as he stood strong above the leg-injured Zidane and wounded Sir Fratley. Fratley propped himself up with his spear, holding his bleeding shoulder while Zidane knelt on the ground with wide eyes, looking up at his previous adversary. "Are you impressed? I entered under that name Reas. It's an anagram of Ares, pretty smart, right?........... What's wrong, old pal? Cat got your tongue?" the alien mocked. Fratley gasped, _"What? They've met before?"_ he thought to himself. Zidane climbed to his feet. "But..... How, Ares? How? I killed you. Back in Cleyra's Trunk. I blasted a hole in your gut and now it looks like you we're never hurt at all." He questioned. "Poor, poor Tribal. You never were too bright. It's all because of one simple word: Regeneration! The ability to regenerate my body isn't limited to just my limbs." Ares explained. "Although, I must say, what you did to me was pretty extraordinary. Know something? It hurt. It hurt like a son of a bitch, and it bled like hell! No one has ever damaged me like that before. Congratulations!" he further mocked. Zidane chuckled lightly, "I hurt you, huh? I should be pleased with myself. I _should_...... But it didn't kill you. But I proven that you're not unbeatable. I've done it once, and so help me, I'll do it again!" he declared. "I'm with you, Zidane!" reassured Fratley. Ares took a defensive stance, "Bring it on, fellas!" he yelled.

Zidane and Fratley joined forces and attacked Ares with a series of slashes and swipes, most were blocked by their opponent. His bare arms worked like Demon Mail, even stopping Fratley's spear without sustaining a scratch. Then, as fast as lightning, Ares jumped over their heads, landed behind them and shot both his legs into their backs. The genome and dragon knight rebounded from the ground and recovered. They both stood, clutching their weapons close to them. "He is unlike anyone I've ever encountered before....." remarked Fratley. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but, this is just the tip of the ice berg." Informed Zidane, to which Fratley gasped. "C'mon lads! Is that it!? I'm not even warmed up yet!" called Ares. "See what I mean?" said Zidane. Fratley nodded, "Yes. So you have met this man before?" he asked. "He's not a man. He came to this planet on a meteorite and ate a man to look like that. That's right, Sir Fratley. He's an 'other-world life form'." Explained Zidane. "What?" wondered Fratley. Zidane sighed out of his friend's lack of knowledge, "A fucking alien!" he confirmed. "The only thing is: he's a lot stronger that before." He added. "What are you two morons whispering about!? Fine! If you won't make the first move, I will!" shouted an impatient Ares before he leaped towards them.

"Look out!" yelled Zidane as the evil alien came crashing down on top of them. They both managed to dodge and counter attack with a slash each. Ares recovered and stood between the two warriors. "Don't let that go to your head! You were lucky." He stated. "Alright then, Ares. Take this!" yelled Fratley, charging up a dragon ability. "Stop, Sir Fratley! It won't work! He knows exactly what you're doing and he'll counter in like that!" the genome informed, clinking his fingers. Fratley calmed down, "What? But how?" he asked. "When he came here, he inherited all of our abilities and knowledge. He knows what we know." Answered Zidane. Ares clapped his hands, "Good, good. So you did listen, maybe you're not _that_ thick." He joked. "How dare you mock him!" shouted Fratley and slashed Ares across the face. "Ouch!" he yelped and a cut appeared on his face. Zidane followed up with three attacks to the stomach. Then, Sir Fratley 'Jumped' into the air. Seeing that he was solo, Ares attacked Zidane, punching his in the face. The genome fell to the floor after suffering from the blow and dropped his daggers. Then Ares stood on his chest, forcing his foot down with all of his weight. Zidane screamed out loud with all the pain. "C'mon, Tribal! I wanna hear you scream and beg for mercy!" ordered Ares. Zidane opened his eyes and stuck his tongue out at the alien. Aggravated, Ares sent and electrical discharge through his leg and electrocuted Zidane.

The genome spotted one of his daggers a few feet away and he tried to reach out for it, desperately. Ares continued to crush his chest with his weight, "I can hear your bones starting to crack, Tribal!" he laughed, sinisterly. Zidane was fractions of an inch from reaching his knife and it seemed hopeless to continue, but then, SLASH! Fratley came swooping down and sliced Ares across the back. The alien yelp in shock from his wound and caused him to lean back, loosening his pin on Zidane. The genome to the opportunity, grabbed his knife, buried it into Ares' ankle and twisted it to open the wound further. The alien yelped a second time, turning back to Zidane with anger filled eyes. The young hero grabbed the hilt of the handle of his dagger and shoved it further in until it burst out the other side of his leg. "GGRRRAAAHHH!" yelled Ares after Zidane pulled his knife out and recovered his offensive posture. Sir Fratley also stood strong as they relayed a pincer attack on Ares.

The alien grunted as the wound in his ankle closed up and healed. "What? He's recovered? Just like that?" questioned a nervous Sir Fratley. "Don't be nervous, Fratley. That's just another one of his fancy tricks! He might be stronger, but he can't beat the two of us and he knows it!" reassured Zidane. Ares grunted at Zidane. "Just out of curiosity: How _did_ you get so strong?" asked Zidane. Ares cunningly smiled, "Simple: I absorbed all the residents of Cleyra." He answered. The duo gasped in shock. "What!? You took innocent lives!? They.... They were my people....There were families up there! Children! You despicable fiend!" cursed Fratley. Ares turned to the dragon knight, "One thing's for sure: vermin are tasty. Kee hee hee!" he laughed sinisterly. Zidane fell to his knees, "No..... How could I let this happen!? I should have double checked that you were dead! I.... failed them.... I'm sorry, Sir Fratley. If I only would've..." uttered Zidane. "Get up, Zidane! It isn't your fault! And crying about it won't bring any of them back!" declared Fratley. "Ares! I will make you suffer for your crimes! No matter what the cost may be!" he added. Ares started eagerly at him, "Well, don't keep me in suspense, what are you gonna do?" he asked, mockingly. "THIS" shouted Fratley.

The legendary dragon knight darted towards his enemy, much to Ares surprise. He sliced the aliens arm off and slashed him four times across the stomach, causing blood to pour from his wounds. Then, Fratley grabbed Ares' foot and launched him into the air. "Dragon Breath!" he chanted. A dragon of mist rose up behind him and unleashed a deadly breath attack upon the air born Ares, which dealt tremendous damage. The alien was screaming out with agony at this point. Then, Sir Fratley jumped into the air, struck Ares multiple times with his spear, grabbed his leg again and threw him to the ground. Ares landed with such an amazing force that the brick work was shattered and scattered around the area. Sir Fratley landed with a crouch behind the genome then slowly stood upright. Zidane watched his assault with careful eyes. The cloud of concrete dust cleared to reveal Ares lying motionless in a pile of rubble. The two warriors started at the body for a few moments before Fratley started to walk towards but was quickly stopped by Zidane's arm. "Wait, wait, wait... Don't fall for it Fratley." He whispered. "This guy ain't dumb. He's trying to trick us." He added. "Don't be ridiculous. Many villains have fallen at the blade of my spear. Do you doubt my ability?" asked Sir Fratley. "Not at all!" assured Zidane, "I'm just saying: he's over a thousand years old and I'm sure he's taken bigger beatings than that. Even I gave him a harder time and he survived." He added.

"But look at him, he isn't drawing breath. He has perished." Fratley persuaded. "He's an alien, man! Who knows where he breaths from. Could be his ass for all we know!" explained Zidane. "Look, I'll prove it to you." Said an unconvinced Sir Fratley. "No! Come back!" ordered Zidane, but his words fell on deaf ears. The dragon knight crept over to Ares' body, which still lied motionless in the pile of bricks. The dragon knight stood over the alien and inspected him, thoroughly. He looked at him from different angles and prodded him with his spear. Sir Fratley turned towards Zidane, "You see? He is no more." Informed Fratley. As soon as he turned around, Ares quickly rose up behind him. "Fratley, watch out!" yelled Zidane. The dragon turned around, but it was too late. "You should've listened to your friend!" declared Ares. Then, the arm that Sir Fratley amputated instantly grew back and grabbed the famed Burmecians face. Desperate for ideas, Fratley attempted to swing his spear round at the alien, but Ares easily caught it and snatched it from Fratley's hand. The dragon knight tried his hardest to struggle free, but was rendered helpless hen Ares lifted him off the ground, making escaped impossible.

"NO! GET OFF HIM!" yelled Zidane as he charged towards the evil extraterrestrial. As quick as a flash, Ares formed a ball in his hand and fired it at Zidane which left him paralyzed. All the genome could do was watch. Ares turned back to the incapacitated Sir Fratley whose body could do nothing but flap around like a fish out of water. Then, the aliens hand turned into the absorbing goo-like substance and it soon engulfed Fratley's head. All that could be heard from the dragon knight were terrified, muffled screams from within the casing. Ares' arm also liquefied and it began to encase his entire body until he was completely immobilised. Fratley was now a huge mound inside Ares' arm. He was trapped.

Laughing insanely, the sinister alien began to suck the incapacitated Burmecian up into his shoulder until he disappeared inside his body. Sir Fratley, one of the greatest warriors Gaia has ever seen, had been swallowed up by the tyrant known as Ares, The Scourge of Reality. "FRATLEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!" screamed Zidane as tears filled his eyes. The ground shook as Ares' combat strength went through the roof. He shouted out loud with the immense power increase. He also grew a foot taller. "No..... Now what?" said Zidane in terror.

Ares soon calmed down and began to lick his lips. "Mm, tastes like chicken." He said. He then inspected his hands, "Well, I never would have guessed that a filthy rat as weak as him would give me such a power increase. I'm impressed. Well.... almost. AHAHAHAHA!" he cackled. Then, Ares noticed the still paralyzed Zidane, "Oh yeah, how you doing, Tribal? I think we can get you out of that state now." He said, clapping his hands twice. Zidane fell to his knees, with a defeated look. "Oh, c'mon, what's the matter? Have you given up so soon?" asked Ares. "There's no point continuing. I don't have a chance of beating you now. Fratley...... Why? Why did you have to be so cocky!?" Zidane questioned. "I wouldn't worry too much. I wouldn't be able to use his power if he was dead." Ares explained, "But anyway. You've been really fun up until now, Tribal. It's time to get this little rivalry over with." He added. Then, he kicked Zidane with incredible force straight into the pile of rubble behind him. Zidane was so damaged that he was hardly able to move and he was coughing up blood. Ares grabbed him by the collar and held him up to his face. "Any last words?" he asked. Zidane said nothing but he spat in his face. Ares paused for a moment before licking up and swallowing Zidane's spit. "Ugh... Gross..." uttered the genome. "I guess this is the end of the road, Tribal. It's been fun, but you know what they say: you can never have too much of a good thing. Just thank how the world will weep when they discover that I have put an end to the great Zidane Tribal." Ares said and readied a finishing attack.

Then, out of nowhere, a bolt of energy was fired at Ares. The alien was quick to dodge but he dropped Zidane. "What the-? Who shot at me!?" Ares yelled before spotting a second shot coming from above. He dodged again, however. He quickly scanned the area but found no one except the injured Zidane. It was deathly quiet. "I sense the presence of a third warrior, and their combat strength in immeasurable." He said. Zidane, over hearing Ares' words also looked around intently. "Who is it!?" yelled Ares. Nothing happened for a moment.

Then, from behind Ares, the third fighter descended to the ground. The alien noticed him, and Zidane did as well shortly after. The mystery man touched down a few feet away from the current plague of Gaia. He wore no armour but distinctive white robe-themed clothing that was a little revealing. Ares gazed at him as he tried to give a name to his face. Zidane sat up with his jaw gaping open. Suddenly, Ares recognised him. "You're Kuja!" he stated. Kuja grinned a cheeky grin at him, "Yes. And you're Ares. Hello." He said.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

The Man in White Returns

The scene lay in total silence at the peculiar turn of events: Kuja has survived! But is he friend or foe to Zidane? The original 'Angel of Death' stood before the 'Scourge of Reality' with confident eyes. Zidane was struck with shock and a portion of fear now that his two mortal enemies were in the same area, aware of each other's presence. His heart was beating faster that he could run at this point; he had never been this freighted. _"Oh great! Kuja's here! Is this good or bad? He seemed different when I last saw him. Was that just because he thought it was the end? We are in trouble!"_ he thought.

"What do you want, girly boy!?" insulted Ares, "Aren't you supposed to be dead?" he added. "Zidane was pronounced dead, yet there he lies." Kuja pointed out at the still injured genome. "Yeah, well, soon the first piece of news will be rendered true. If you've come all the way here for a piece of him, hard luck! This monkey's mine! You've had your chance, now sod off!" the alien ordered. Kuja grinned, "On the contrary, Ares. It's you I've come for." He stated. "Oh really?" said Ares, interestingly, "And what do you want with me? To help you write a play? I don't think so! If I was watching one of your plays, I'd be very aware of it. HAHAHA!" he joked. Kuja chuckled, "Sadly, no. Though your help would be most welcome. What with living for thousands of years an' all, I bet you're a man of experience. But here's the deal, you're not welcome here or anywhere, I've come to put a stop to the blood lust of yours. That's right: I'm going to finish you off!" threatened Kuja, laying down his cards in the matter. Ares stared at him with concerned eyes. Zidane remained silent, hoping they would ignore him over their own squabble.

Then, Ares began to chuckle. His chuckle exploded into laughter. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yeah, sure! Tribal kicked your arse and I've kicked his! Sorry, you'll need to do better than that." He laughed before turned to Zidane. "Now hold still, Tribal. It'll be over soon, hehe." He said, preparing to attack, but he was interrupted by Kuja again. "Perhaps I haven't made myself clear; you're finished, Ares!!!!!" declared Kuja in anger. The alien turned back, irritated by the genome. "I'm putting an end to your long and despicable life, and I won't let you hurt Zidane." Kuja added, forming an offensive battle position. Zidane gasped with surprise; the man he hated with every fibre of his being is now fighting for his sake! Ares formed a defensive stance, countering Kuja's. "Well, I must say, I'm impressed you know so much about me." Commented Ares, "Pity it won't help you beat me." He added. "Hmm, wanna bet?" said Kuja and he launched himself at the alien, much to his surprise. "He's quick!" said a flabbergasted Ares.

He tried to counter with a comet spell, but Kuja was too fast and kicked Ares in the chest. "Ooft!" he coughed as the blow struck. The alien took a couple of steps back, but was floored when Kuja followed up with a knee to the head. "Whoa!" said a dazzled Zidane. As Ares climbed to his feet, Kuja grabbed his arm and swung him into the steps behind him. The alien slammed into the staircase and it crumbled on top of him in a heap. When the cloud of dust disappeared, there was just a heap of rubble at the foot of the stairs.

"That should keep him down for a second or two." Said Kuja. He then turned to his genome brother. "Curaga!" he chanted and the spell fully rejuvenated Zidane who hopped to his feet straight afterwards, but kept his distance from Kuja. "Zidane, listen! I'm not your enemy anymore. Feel free to further despise me, but right now, we need to cooperate to defeat Ares!" Kuja pleaded. "Why should I trust you? And how do you know about him?" asked a reluctant Zidane. "Dammit, we don't have time for this! I'll explain everything later!"Urged Kuja, desperately, short before Ares burst out from his temporary prison. "Grr. I've got no choice!" said Zidane, agreeing to Kuja's terms, arming himself with his blades.

"Not bad for a hermaphrodite, HAHAHAHA!" joked Ares. "Now, let's get serious. Two on one really isn't fair." He added. The alien raised his hand and liquefied his fingers again. The two genomes braced themselves for a new trick of his. Each of Ares' fingers extended to a point and then solidified once more, turning his fingers into claws. "Hehe, pretty cool, right?" he commented before going through the same process with his other hand. "Time for a little of my 'cutting edge', Ahahahahah!" he joked. "Man! Is there anything this guy _can't_ do!?" asked an amazed Zidane. "I'm bewildered myself, Zidane." Admitted Kuja. "Oh, this is nothing. I could morph my whole arm into a cutting melee weapon if I wanted to." Informed Ares, "NOW DIE!" he yelled, rushing towards them, claws at the ready.

"Watch it!" yelled Zidane, who blocked Ares' attack, as did Kuja. The alien countered with an endless barrage of furious swipes which formed cuts all over Zidane and Kuja's bodies. The pair of them fell to their knees as they coped with their wounds. "Round 2!" Ares yelled as he ran towards them again. However, Kuja quickly rose up, "Eat this! Firaja!" he chanted. "What the!" said Zidane in amazement. "WWWWHHHHOOOOOAAAAA!!!!!" shouted Ares with surprise, trying to dodge in time, but it was too late. The spell engulfed him in a dome of enormous crimson flames that soon after formed into a huge ball of fire and then exploded while Ares was inside it. "UUUUAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!!" The alien wailed in pain and shock as he fell to the ground. His jeans had been burnt from blue to black, his trainers were all tattered, his black shirt had lost some of its white cheques and his insulating, black vest top had caught fire which he was trying to extinguish.

Zidane watched with a wide jaw. "How...... the hell.... did you do that?" he managed to ask, "I though only he knew Level 4 Magic." He added. Kuja smirked, "I know a lot more than that. I've been training to battle him." He said. "What? You knew that he was gonna be here?" asked Zidane. Kuja nodded. Their convocation was silence by Ares yelling at them. "Gah! That hurt! How can you know that spell!? You shouldn't be physically capable of casting it!" he informed them. "You have a limited life span, Kuja. In fact, it should have elapsed a long time ago! You're supposed to be dead!" he added. Zidane looked up at his brother, "He's got a point there. How did you survive?" He said. "Does it matter? I'm here, and that's all that matters now." Said Kuja, "Now, c'mon, Zidane! Let's kill this universal disgrace!" he added. Zidane formed his swallow blade, "For once we agree on something!" he said. Ares frowned, "I don't think so! If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: I'm not so easily destroyed! Stupid genomes!" he said.

"Time to show a few tricks of my own." He said. Ares clenched his hand into a fist and pulled it back behind him. "Fist of Cerberus!" he chanted, lunging out his arm and firing an orange, transparent hound head at them. "Look out!" shouted Zidane as he and Kuja leaped into the air and avoided his attack. "Fist of Cerberus!" the alien repeated and the hound head was launched at Kuja and hit him, dead on. "UUGGGHHH!" he grunted as he plummeted to the ground. "Kuja!" called Zidane, seemingly worried about him. The older genome managed to land on his feet, but still damaged from Ares' attack. "I'm alright! Don't worry about it!" he called back.

In mid air, Zidane straightened his body to become completely stream-lined and headed straight for Ares, who had his attention focused on Kuja. "Hey! Scumbag! Up here!" he shouted at his foe. Ares looked up to see Zidane impale him with his sword. The alien screamed in pain as he fell to the ground. However, he quickly got up, pulled the swallow blade out of his chest and threw in back at Zidane who, skilfully, caught in at the handle. "Flare!" chanted Kuja. The spell damaged Ares perfectly, but it didn't stop him. "Ha! This is how you use Flare!" he yelled. "I've heard that one before." Commented Zidane, referring to Black Waltz No. 2. Ares casted Flare on Kuja and floored him with it. He then charged at Zidane with his claws at the ready, "Your turn, Tribal!" he yelled. The two of them became locked in a melee mash.

Meanwhile, Kuja struggled to his feet and prepared a spell. "Curaja!" he chanted and became fully healed even his cuts vanished. He looked at the struggle between Ares and Zidane. The alien had the upper hand. Worried about his brothers safety, Kuja dashed towards them and kneed Ares in the head, shocking him. "Now!" cried Kuja and the two genomes attacked him consecutively. Zidane split his sword into daggers and stabbed them both into Ares' stomach while Kuja launched an energy bolt at him at point blank. The alien screamed out loud and was sent flying into a nearby building.

The genome brothers relaxed. They caught their breath and saw Ares lying on the ground in front of them. "..... We did it." Uttered Zidane, still out of breath. When they finally calmed down, Zidane turned to Kuja, "So what's the deal with you? How come you're not trying to kill me?" he asked. Kuja looked back at Zidane, "Zidane, I completely understand if you hate me. But I told you before that once I lost it all, I realised what it meant to live. I've done terrible things and there's nothing that can be done to reverse them. I woke up a few months before you did in the Iifa Tree, but I was too weak to reach you. I did manage to get out into the open however. The tree was a deathly grey colour and there was nothing in sight. I felt bad about leaving you down there, but there was nothing I could do. So, I just sat there, outside the Iifa Tree. I don't know why. I guess I was just waiting for death to come. But then, I spotted a meteorite that landed near the summoner village." He explained. "That was Ares!" Zidane commented.

"Indeed. I could sense that it was evil, and it was growing stronger. That's what gave me my motivation to keep going. I knew that the lives I took couldn't be brought back, but I figured; maybe I could atone for my crimes. It was doubtful, but there was a chance. So I went into exile to train and become stronger to face this evil. When I was training my mind with intense meditation, I discovered a method to prolong my life." He continued. Zidane gasped, "What? That's impossible!" said Zidane. "I thought so too, but it worked. That's how I've come to be here. I also learned to conjure the superior Magic Level 4. A while later, I could sense that you were battling against the evil I sensed. Because we are both of the same race and we both have souls, I managed to create a temporal telepathic link between us, and it just so happens that it was when he was telling you about himself." Kuja explained. "So you could hear what I could hear?" asked Zidane. Kuja nodded. "So that's how you knew about him." Zidane clarified, "Well, we've got him now." He added. "Maybe, but we're all still in danger." Informed Kuja.

"What!? How!?" asked Zidane, surprised. "Don't tell me you've forgot." Said Kuja. "Forgot what!?" Zidane yelled. "About his method to absorb Gaia! He might be dead, but his nodes are still active! They're scattered all over this planet! There are four of them!" Kuja reminded him. Zidane gasped, "Of course! I completely forgot about those! Dammit!" he remembered. The pair of them were struck silenced when they looked round to see Ares sitting up, laughing. "HAHAHAHAHA! That's right, Tribal! My nodes are gonna suck this planets life force up! And there's nothing you can do about it! They won't show up on a radar or anything like that." he informed them. "ARES!" the genomes yelled.

"You may have won this round, but this is a golden opportunity for me." He explained. "What are you talking about!?" asked Kuja. Ares thought for a moment. "I'd say I would take me a day to get to Alexandria by foot. By then the peace ceremony should be starting. Nearly the whole world will be there! Too bad the Cleyrans can't make it, hehe!" Ares plotted. Zidane gasped in horror, "No! I won't let you hurt my friends or any innocent people!" he declared. "Sorry, Tribal, but I'm afraid you don't have a say in the matter!" Ares answered before forming two energy balls and paralyzing the genome siblings with them. "I....... can't....... move!" uttered Kuja. "N-n-n-no!" yelled Zidane, powerless to stop the extraterrestrial. "This is a dirty move, Ares!" said Kuja, detest fully. Ares smirked, "But dirty moves work better that clean ones and I'll do anything to win this battle! Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meal waiting for me in Alexandria. I'll be back to kill you in a day or two. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" he laughed as he leaped on top of a building and rushed north.

"No! I can't let this happen! We've got to get out of here, Kuja!" demanded Zidane. "I know! I can't get free!" he answered in a panic. What will Zidane and Kuja do now? Will they be able to get free of the paralysis? And even if they do, will they be able to beat Ares to Alexandria? And what of Zidane's old companions?

Find out in the next chapter of Final Fantasy IX The Scourge Of Reality....


	31. Chapter 31

Authors Note: Sorry for the long wait. I have no excuse.

Chapter 31

Race to Alexandria

Kuja and Zidane remained paralyzed and powerless to prevent the sinisterly cunning Ares from escaping and setting off to Alexandria on foot. His plan is to get there in time for the peace ceremony so he can absorb them to overcome the genome brothers. "Kuja! We've gotta break free before he gets away!" urged Zidane. "I know that already! It's easier said than done you know!" Kuja replied. They both struggled desperately to release themselves, but it seemed hopeless.

Suddenly, Zidane started to tense up. Kuja looked concerned, "Zidane? What are you doing?" he asked. "He's taken my friend captive inside himself and given him a fate worse than death! Sir Fratley or anyone else he's taken freedom from did nothing to deserve that! I won't let him..... GET AWAY WITH IT!!!!!!" screamed Zidane. Then, he surfaced his hatred for Ares in the form of a huge burst of light and, in what seemed like an instant, he shattered the spell that held him and Kuja captive. Soon after, he calmed down and dropped to his knees with exhaustion. "Zidane, you did it! We're free!" informed Kuja. He helped his brother up and allowed him to catch his breath.

"Are you ok?" Kuja asked. "I'm (huff-huff) fine (heave-heave)." Zidane panted. After a few moments, Zidane caught his breath and stood upright. Kuja looked in the direction that Ares went. "Now what do we do? There's no way we can catch up to him on foot, not with his speed." said Kuja. Zidane chuckled, "You've got a lot to learn, Kuja. We're in Lindblum! We'll just borrow an airship to get to Alexandria before him." He explained. "But, it might be a bit tough because everyone will have used them to get to there for the peace ceremony. They'll all be at South Gate by now" He added. "It's worth a look though; we'll certainly be able to outrun Ares in an airship." Said Kuja. "You're right! C'mon, let's go see if there's any spare." Said Zidane before they rushed to the minicab station and went to Lindblum Castle.

There weren't many guards around, so they had little trouble getting to the airship development centre without revealing Kuja's presence. When they got there, they fund it completely deserted. "Looks like all the engineers went to Alexandria as well." Said Zidane. Kuja was inspecting the hanger, "Impressive. This is a good size airship hanger. Strong too." He stated. "Well what do you expect? This is where they invented airships." Informed Zidane. "I can't see any airships left over though." He added. Kuja sighed with disappointment. Then, just in the corner of his eye, he spotted a small airship at the base of the hanger. "Look! There!" he said, pointing at his discovery. Zidane followed his finger and saw the airship as well. "Hey, it's a Viltgance! They're pretty quick and it holds two people! We're in luck!" said Zidane.

The two genomes made their way down to the lower levels towards the Viltgance. When they reached it, Zidane and Kuja immediately boarded. They both too the pilot and co pilot seats. "Can you fly?" asked Kuja. Zidane smirked, "Hell yeah! If i can fly the Invincible, I can fly a Viltgance!" he answered. Zidane turned on the ignition and started it up. "Here we go! Hold on tight, Kuja!" he warned. Then, as fast as lightning, the airship shot out of the hanger, straight over Lindblum. The Viltgance they had seized lacked a roof so the wind was free to rush through their hair and clothes. "Hmm, now I know why no one was using this." Said Zidane. "Why?" asked Kuja. "It was undergoing repairs and it needed a new roof. Kinda obvious really. The engine is kind faulty too, but it's our only way of getting to Alexandria. We'll just have to pray that it doesn't decide to blow up, hehe." Explained Zidane with a positive tone. Kuja looked confused, "How can you be laughing at a time like this: not only is there an all-powerful alien menace on his way to cause a massacre, but the only two people who know about it are chasing him in a mashed up airship! What could be so funny!?" he yelled. "Hey, c'mon! I'm just trying to lighten up the mood. Considering the dire situation we're in, I thought you might need cheering up." Answered Zidane. Kuja looked at his dim-witted brother in aggravation, "................. Just drive...." he ordered.

Soon, the pair was out of Lindblum and en route to South Gate. "Problem: how are we gonna get through the gate? We don't have clearance." Stated Zidane. Kuja shrugged, "You're expecting me to know? I've never used it before!" he replied. Zidane started to sweat, "If we can't get through, everyone is done for! The entire Alexandria territory is surrounded by mountains. The only ways in are North and South Gate. If we don't have clearance we'll have to make up a believable lie of emergency. Now help me think: what would be so serious that we have to go through the gate even though we don't have clearance?" wondered Zidane. "Why don't we just tell them the truth? That's dire enough." Suggested Kuja. "Don't be stupid! We want to keep Ares' existence a complete secret until we get to my friends." Replied Zidane. Kuja rolled his eyes, "Why?" he asked. "Because I don't want to cause a panic! Besides, the gate operators will never believe us." Zidane explained. "And your comrades will?" asked Kuja. "Of course they will. They know I'd never lie to them." Zidane answered. Then, Kuja spotted something out the corner of his eye, "Look out! Monsters!" he cried. Zidane braked and drew his daggers.

A swarm of large, blue, spear wielding Ladybirds was heading straight for them. Their buzzing could be heard from a distance. It grew louder as they got closer. "Thundaga!" chanted Kuja. The lightning spell killed a bunch of them, but there was far too many of them. "Bio!" Kuja chanted. The effect was the same as his previous spell. The number of the Ladybirds had decreased considerably. "Here they come!" said Zidane. Then, the Ladybirds slammed violently into the side of the Viltgance. They squealed and screeched as they tore away at the main hub. Kuja casted strong fire spells to thwart them and Zidane sliced through the swarm with his daggers, but they just kept coming.

"Gah! You kill one and ten take its place!" yelled Zidane. "It's no good! There's just far too many of them!" called Kuja. "_Now_ what do we do!?" shouted Zidane. Ladybirds had surrounded them, spears at the ready. The two genomes dropped their guard, realising the futility of their struggle. Then, a Ladybird hovered towards them. It was larger than the others, "That must be the Matriarch." Exclaimed Kuja. Suddenly, the Ladybird froze, so did its followers. Zidane and Kuja looked at each other in confusion. The Matriarch screeched and signalled the other Ladybirds, then, they all fled as fast as lightning. The genome brothers remained motionless, coming to terms with the recent events.

"What the hell just happened?" asked Zidane. "I'm not sure...." answered Kuja. They both looked around and found no trace of the killer insects. "You mean they just ran, for no reason whatsoever?" said Zidane. Kuja merely shrugged. Then, faint wings could be heard, flapping in the back ground. The genomes froze, listening intently. "What's that?" asked Zidane. "Shush!" commanded Kuja. The sound started to get louder, indicating that something was coming. Zidane formed his swallow blade and braced himself for the beast that approached. The beaten up Viltgance hovered in the air, vulnerable to any form of attack. Kuja prepared his magic as the beating of wings was so very close. "Where is it!?" cried Zidane. There was no sign of anything anywhere. Then, a loud reptilian screech broke the deafening silence around them. "Below!" yelled Kuja.

The genome brothers ran up to the edge of the airship where they fell backwards with surprise when a pair of big yellow eyes appeared from underneath the Viltgance. The monster continued to ascend until its head was completely visible. It had a long snout, covered in orange scales, razor sharp fangs and a mouth that was drooling. Next it revealed its long neck and forearms, thick with muscles. Its huge bulky body formed a shadow over them both and its powerful hind legs were tucked into its torso. Its wing span was enormous, with every flap came a gust of wind, razor sharp claws were at the end of each joint of skin that formed the wings. It long and strong tail swiftly followed its body seeming to be as light as a feather. The winged fiend was covered in orange scales and its horrible yellow eyes stared lustfully and the pair of Terrans.

Zidane and Kuja looked up at the towering monster that hovered above them. Their eyes were bulging out of their skulls and they were both trembling slightly. Suddenly, Kuja came to his senses and stood firmly before the fly terror, "Prepare for battle, Zidane!" he declared. Zidane also snapped out of the daze and formed a defensive stance, "You want a piece of me!? You ugly son of a bitch!" he shouted as the demonic creature swung round and prepared to attack them.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Quetzalcoatl

The giant demon lunged toward them with its tremendous weight for a direct attack on the two genomes. Zidane and Kuja jumped to opposite ends of the Viltgance and Kuja casted a Blizzaga spell on the beast. Though it was a direct hit, no real damage was dealt. "Darn!" cursed Kuja. "My turn!" Zidane declared as he leapt forward and slashed the winged serpent with his dagger. As before, the monster seemed to be unaffected by this attack. "Dammit! This guys a rock!" shouted Zidane. Then, the Quetzalcoatl raised its head and started to spew flames from its mouth. "Watch out!" Kuja yelled. Then, the stream of fire became a blazing furnace. The genome brothers managed to avoid harm but a part of the cabin was set alight. "Water!" Kuja chanted before the fire burnt out beneath the water-elemental spell. Zidane wiped the sweat off his forehead, "Phew! That was _too _close!" he said.

The giant serpent flew over their heads, past the airship to circle round. "What are we going to do!? Our attacks can't hurt it!" Zidane complained. "Zidane!" Kuja shouted from the other end of the Viltgance, "We can't penetrate its thick scales normally! We have to combine our attacks if we are to do any damage to this creature! Do you understand!?" he added. Zidane replied with a nod of his head. The Quetzalcoatl bellowed as it sped towards them through the air. "Alright, Zidane! We have to attack it at the exact same time on the exact same spot!" Kuja yelled. When the beast drew closer, Kuja casted a Firaga spell, but the monster avoided it. As it flew past, it clawed at Zidane, tearing through the skin on his shoulder. He fell to his knees and held his wound with his other hand. "Zidane! Are you okay!?" asked a concerned Kuja. The young genome climbed to his feet and armed himself. "I'm fine! It's just a scratch!" he called back. Before they knew it, the winged serpent was darting at them again. "Eat this!" Zidane shouted as he jumped up and dug his knife into the monsters shoulder. "ZIDANE!" Kuja shouted as he saw the giant demon drag his brother into the air as he refused to let go of his dagger.

The Quetzalcoatl roared in pain as Zidane put as much pressure as he could on the dagger that was embedded in the creatures shoulder. Blood ran from the wound and splattered all over Zidane's face. It attempted to shake him off with sharp and agile aerial manoeuvres. Zidane held on to the hilt of his weapon as tightly as he could. Eventually, the dagger was freed from the monsters shoulder and Zidane fell only to be saved by Kuja as he caught his hand when Zidane fell down the side of the airship. "I've got you, Zidane!" he stated. The genome held onto his brother with one hand and his bloody dagger in the other. Kuja then pulled him up onto the deck. "Thanks (huff-puff) Kuja!" Zidane panted. "Don't mention it. But look!" he said. Zidane gazed up and saw Kuja pointing at the Quetzalcoatl that orbited the airship, biding its time. The young genome tightened his focus and spotted what Kuja was pointing at: a gore-filled wound on its shoulder. "Thanks to you, we can start doing some damage to that thing! We have a point of attack!" Kuja informed Zidane. "If we can hit him on that wound, it'll be super-effective!" he added. Zidane rose up. "It's worth a shot!" he said, with a grin on his face.

The two brothers braced themselves, ready for the winged menace to circle round for another strike. As it approached them, it made a deafening screech that pierced their ear drums violently. "Ah! It's too loud!" Zidane shouted, shutting his eyes and gripping his ears. "No Zidane!" Kuja yelled. "If you lose focus, we'll miss our chance! It's trying to distract us because it knows that it's vulnerable! Stand strong!" he added. Listening to his brothers words, Zidane regained his strong stance although still suffering from the lethal noise. "I know it hurts Zidane, but if we can't get past this beast, Ares will become even stronger!" Kuja cried out loud. Zidane suddenly foresaw a horrible scene where his friends were all in pain under the weight of Ares' evil, and suddenly gained a firm and strong stance. Then, as quick as a flash he leaped up at the Quetzalcoatl that was just passing over them and carved a second wound across the monsters previous injury, causing it to roar in agony, thus silencing its painful attack. "Ultima!" chanted Kuja. Several crimson energy bolts appeared from beneath the battle scene and made impact on the winged beast. The spell hit with devastating force, causing major damage.

"Direct hit!" yelled Zidane. However, the smoke cloud cleared and the creature was revealed to be still alive. "Man! What do we have to do to kill this thing!?" Zidane shouted in frustration. "It may be alive, but it has been severely weakened. One more assault like that and it's done for!" informed Kuja. Zidane stood ready to attack. "I'm hearing you, once more, just like last time!" he said. They both looked out to see the monster come to and fly towards them again. "Ready!?" said Kuja as he formed a ball of energy between his hands. "Set!?" said Zidane, forming his swallow blade. As they were about to attack the demon, it opened its mouth and fired a magical wave that struck the side of the Viltgance, sending it downwards towards Gaia.

With their plan ruined, Zidane and Kuja hung onto the airship as it headed for the ground far below them. "No! We were almost there! Just once blast away!" cried Zidane. "What do we do now!?" yelled Kuja. "I don't know!" replied Zidane. He quickly scanned his thoughts for a solution to their situation, until he stumbled on the answer. "Oh! Wait! I know! If i can just reach the cockpit, I might be able to get control of the airship!" the bandit informed his brother. "Well don't just sit there, get to the cockpit!" shouted Kuja. Hastily, Zidane made his way to the cockpit; however, it was badly damaged. "Shoot! I don't know if it will work! It's broken!" he shouted down to his brother. "Then fix it! Hurry up! I can see below the clouds!" he yelled back in a panic. Zidane inspected the controls and found that the connection to the engine was missing. "Damn! Where is it!?" he urged. He looked high and low and found the plug outside of the cockpit. He stood up to reach out for the vital tool needed to save their lives, but it was too far away.

"GRRAAAHHH!!! It's no good, Kuja! I can't reach it!" he shouted. He stretched his arm out as far as it would go whilst still attached to his torso. He then tried with his dagger, but the straight edge of the blade made it impossible to hook the cable and pull it towards him. "Oh no! What should I do!?" he panicked. Zidane looked down to see that they were dangerously close to the ground. "Zidane!" a voice on the air shouted. He looked down the Viltgance to see his brother waving to get his attention. "Your tail! Use your tail! It's longer than your arm!" Kuja yelled in desperation. Zidane gasped in relief at the idea "Yeah! My tail can hook it!" he said to himself and he turned round and easily grabbed the cable and plug with his tail. He yanked it towards himself and immediately plugged it into the controls, and it activated. "Got it!" he shouted triumphantly. Zidane gripped a tight grip on the levers and pulled it back vigorously to change the airships direction. It quickly swerved in mid air, skimming the grass before launching into the air again. Both Zidane and Kuja sighed with relief.

"You did it, Zidane!" Kuja called as he found a secure spot on the Viltgance. Zidane looked back and gave him a thumbs-up sign, "Clench your buttocks, Kuja! It's gonna be a bumpy ride!" he warned as he sped upwards into the sky.

High above, the dreaded Quetzalcoatl circled the air, but was suddenly stopped when it spotted the genome siblings speeding towards it. "Chew on this!" cried Zidane. As quick as a flash, Zidane slammed the airship into the dragon's stomach and Kuja casted a Thundaga spell that vanquished the beast once and for all. It let out a loud bellow as it fell to its death. "Got him!" shouted Kuja. Zidane made the airship streamlined once again as they continued on course. However, they were still speeding. "Zidane! What's wrong!? Slow down! That's too fast!" Kuja called to Zidane. "I can't! That last blast from that monster has screwed up the brakes! We can't slow down!" the young genome informed him. Suddenly, the clouds cleared and South Gate was straight ahead of them, and the doors were closing. "Oh no! That gates going to close on us!" said Kuja. Zidane sighed in dread, "Oh man... Not again. Here goes nothing!" he said, remembering his first airship ride with Dagger. Then, he slammed his foot down on the gas pedal and their speed increased dramatically. Kuja held on as tight as he could. _"Zidane... I hope you know what you're doing..."_ he thought.

The gap between the gates was getting narrower and narrower. Zidane continued to build up speed when he passed the first gate and was inside South Gate. There wasn't much light on the inside as the openings were closing quickly. "Were not going to make it!" yelled Kuja. "Were gonna make it!" Zidane yelled back with confidence. As quick as a flash, the Viltgance sped up and slipped through the gate, seconds before it closed.

They both sighed once again. "Right, we made it through!" said Zidane. He looked ahead and saw Alexandria on the horizon. "Now the hard part begins...." he added.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Betrayal

Inside Alexandria Castle, Beatrix was assisting Garnet into her white dress, ready for the peace ceremony between the four great nations, which would start soon. She fastened the laces on the back of her gown, to which Garnet flinched as it tightly squeezed her body, while she leaned against the wooden pillar at the edge of the bed. Garnet had let her loose hair down her front so that Beatrix had clear sight of what she was doing. "I think it's a little too tight, Beatrix." Said Garnet, slightly short of air. "I apologise, Your Majesty. But Lord Harold said to fasten the dress up as tightly as possible." the Alexandrian General replied. "Very well." Garnet submitted, unable to sigh. As Beatrix continued to work, Garnet thought about the events that would soon take place. "Can you believe it, Beatrix? Today is the day that peace will be restored to the world. After all these years, war is finally going to be put to rest..." she said. "I know. I very happy that no one will ever have to witness the things we have seen. After today, we'll be free to do other things that just fight. We'll be able to..... to start.... families..." said Beatrix.

Garnet thought about Beatrix's words carefully. _"Families..... Children.... Love.... I've never thought about raising children before.... Imagine a young Prince or Princess of Alexandria... Free of the burden that I had to bear..."_ she thought. Suddenly, her trace of thought was lost when Harold burst in on them. "Are you almost ready, Garnet?" he asked impatiently. "Relax, Harold. The ceremony won't start without us." Garnet replied. Beatrix saluted the Alexandrian king, "I just need to ready the queen's hair, my lord." She said formally. Harold approached the two women, "Beatrix, you are dismissed." He ordered. Reluctantly, Beatrix left the room, leaving Garnet alone with her stone-hearted spouse. He stood behind her and grasped her hair to put her bobble in. She tightened her face in pain as he tugged at her fine, black mane. "Ouch! Harold, you're pulling my hair!" she complained. He didn't say anything, but he loosened his grip somewhat, though he was still hurting her.

After he'd finished, he gave Garnet her tiara so that she could fit it on her head. "Put this on. Now." He demanded. She did so as best she could, and then they both sat at the table for a cup of tea. Tension was building within Garnet; she was nervous as to why he was being so silent. "You seem a little stressed." He said, finally. "I'm just a little tired, that's all." She answered. "The activities down town last night were no doubt exhausting." He said. She suddenly felt as though a knife had pierced her chest. The night before, she secretly snuck out into Alexandria as a party was being held at the local public house. Vivi, Mikoto, their children, Amarant, Quina and Freya had attended. Thus Garnet wanted to go and see them. She much preferred the life of a commoner anyway.

"I see you had that grouchy henchman of yours stalk me again. How typical." She said, supping her tea. Harold lowered his head, "You will _not_ behave like that again, Garnet." He warned. She sat up straight in her chair, "I am not one of your servants that you can order around. I am your wife." She said, defensively. Harold raised his head and glared at her, with scorching flames of anger burning in his eyes. "You are my wife... so you should act like it!!!" he shouted, standing up, overturning the table and towering over her as though she was an insect. Garnet sank into her chair, shocked and rendered vulnerable at his words and actions. "You will honour me the way a wife is required to honour her husband! You don't want to get on my bad side, do you!?" said Harold, loudly, face to face with her. A frightened Garnet weakly shook her head. "Then you will remain within the confines of this castle like I tell you to! You don't want to turn your husband into a powerful enemy, ready to crucify you at any cost." He said, dauntingly quietly. Garnet shivered, still experiencing the aftershock of her scare seconds earlier. Harold then smiled, patronising her. "Fix yourself up. The ceremony will start soon." he ordered as he left the room.

As soon as he left, the young queen started to breath heavily, emotionally wounded by Harold's hurtful words. It wasn't long before she started to cry. Then, Steiner and Beatrix rushed into the bedroom to find their female ruler in the middle of the room in tears with the table flipped over and smashed pots around it. "Your Majesty!" said Steiner as he rushed over to comfort his queen. Beatrix followed and crouched down to pick up the smashed pieces of pottery. "What happened, ma'am?" asked Beatrix in a soothing voice. "I-It was Harold....h-h-he got angry and, and, and, and flipped the table upside down and..." explained a tearful Garnet, struggling to speak. As the female Alexandrian general gathered the broken cups and saucers, Garnet attempted to aid her. "Beatrix, let me help you..." she urged before Steiner's silver gloved hands pulled her back. "It's alright, your majesty. Calm down. It's ok." Said Beatrix. Hearing this Garnet sat back and continued trying to hold back her tears, with little success. Beatrix suddenly noticed something, "(Gasp) Your Majesty!" she said. "What?" replied Garnet. Beatrix pointed at the Silver Pendant around Garnets neck. "The Royal Jewel! It's cracked!" she informed. Garnet looked at the pendant and found a very fine crack that went diagonally through the middle of the jewel. "Oh no... I must have dropped it..." she said, even more tearfully as she held her adoptive families treasure, broken, in her hand.

Meanwhile, approaching Alexandria was a battered Viltgance airship, piloted by Zidane and Kuja. The clouds in front of them cleared to reveal the kingdom that would be hosting to peace ceremony of the world. Airships from all over were far ahead of them. "There it is! Alexandria at 12 o'clock!" Zidane stated. "I hope that this airship holds out long enough for us to get there." Said a concerned Kuja. "Yeah, but even more important, I hope Ares hasn't made it yet." Zidane responded. There's always a chance. He is on foot after all." Said Kuja. "I know, but, he's got the energy of millions of innocent bystanders from all over universe coursing through him. He's _really_ fast!" commented Zidane, "If he gets there before us, everyone is going to suffer. Just like the Cleyrans...." he added in self disappointment.

Hours later, the citizens of the Mist Continent were gathering in Alexandria, ready to declare peace worldwide. Regent Cid led the people of Lindblum with his newest airship, followed closely by Tantalus's theatre ship. "We're almost there, guys!" yelled Baku from within the Prima Vista. "Yahoo!" they all cheered. "Finally! World peace is at hand!" stated Cinna. "Yeah, no more wars!" yelled Zenero. The whole band was jumping for joy, except Ruby. "What's wrong Ruby?" asked Blank. "Oh, nothin'. I was just thinkin'... where has that rowdy cowboy Zidane got to?" she said. "I dunno, but you know Zidane. He'll find a way there somehow." Answered Marcus.

In Alexandria, Garnet, Steiner, Beatrix, Harold, Vivi, Mikoto and their children, Freya, Quina, Amarant, Regent Cid, Queen Hilda, Eiko and the King Of Burmecia watch from the town centre as the crowds swell in the street around them. "Gee whiz! It looks like everyone in the Mist Continent is here!" said an excited Vivi. Eiko approached him, "_World_ Peace, Vivi. World is the key word in that title!" she said. "I wonder where Zidane is..." pondered Freya. "He'll be here. I know he will." Eiko replied. "He'd better hurry up. The ceremony will start soon." Stated Steiner. "Oh, why must we wait for that monkey man to show up? Have you ever thought that he might now come?" asked Harold impatiently. "Pardon me, your honour, but Zidane was the main reason that the world was saved a year ago. He has a right to be here when the ceremony starts." Beatrix explained. "That's right. That young man is Gaia's saviour." Said Cid. "I agree that we should wait for hi as well." Said the Burmecian King. Harold sighed, "Fine, fine. Everyone wants something." He said, "But I refuse to wait any longer than 30 minutes. Is that clear?" he added. They all nodded, apart from Garnet who was still upset from before. "Are you alright, Garnet?" asked Mikoto. "Yeah, fine." She lied.

Meanwhile, Zidane and Kuja had landed on the plains a few away from Alexandria. "You ok, Kuja?" asked Zidane. "Yes, fine. C'mon, there isn't a moment to lose!" he yelled before he and his brother raced towards the kingdom. When they arrived, the main gates were still open. "The peace ceremony must not have started yet. But everyone seems to be here. Look, you can see the airships." Pointed Zidane. There were sounds of distant crowds from within the kingdom, indicating that there was no danger. "Listen." Said Kuja. Zidane stood in silence and listened to the commotion. "There aren't any screams or anything like that." Added Kuja. "That must mean we beat him here! Great! This is our chance!" said a relieved Zidane. "C'mon! We have to get going!" Kuja said as he went inside Alexandria, but was soon stopped by Zidane. "Hey! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! You can't just go waltzing you there!" he urged, "Dead or alive, people still think you're a bad guy! If I turn up with you they might think I'm crazy!" he added. Kuja thought for a moment. "I see your point. That is a problem... But it's a risk we have to take." He answered. Zidane raised an eye brow. "What!? Why!?" he asked. "You just have to think for a moment; if you told them the current situation out of the blue, it would sound too farfetched to be true, even for your friends. Our only chance is that I go with you. True, it may cause pandemonium what with all the terrible things I did, but we'll be a lot better off if you have a witness with you." Kuja explained. Zidane thought for a moment. "I see your point, Kuja.... But, I don't know. You have a lot to answer for with them. They'll defiantly see you as a threat.... But, I might b able to convince them otherwise. Your right, I do need a witness. This is one big risk, Kuja." He said. "C'mon, before we run out of time!" he added. And on that note, the genome brothers entered the kingdom.

Back at the town square, the crowds filled the streets so that there wasn't much room to move. "Well, it's been 30 minutes and he still isn't here! I demand we begin immediately!" yelled Harold. "Alright then, we'll begin." Declared Regent Cid. "The Cleyrans seem to have decided to remain in isolation. We will declare peace on their behalf." Said the King Of Burmecia. Garnet looked ready to announce the start of the ceremony when she was stopped by a voice in the crowd. "Guys!" yelled the voice. Everyone looked round and spotted Zidane, urgently working his way through the crowd. "Zidane!" everyone said in unison. "Ha! I knew he'd make it!" said Vivi, his children cheered from behind him while Mikoto tried to settle them down. Harold stepped forward, "Well, well, well. So nice of you to join us Mr Tribal, we were going to begin without you." He said. "Zip it, lippy! It's an emergency!" Zidane stated as he shoved past the male Alexandrian ruler, who spited him with a sharp eye. "What's wrong, Zidane?" asked Garnet. "Everyone listen up! Erm.... How should I begin..." before he could utter a word, Eiko drew the party's attention to above them. "Look!" she yelled, pointing up at Zidane's brother. "It's Kuja!" the all shouted. The crowds started to panic at the sight of their horror. Freya readied her spear whilst Steiner and Beatrix drew their swords. "Wait! Wait, stop, stop, stop! It's alright!" Zidane urged.

"What do you mean it's alright!? It's Kuja, Zidane! He's right there! He's still alive!" said Garnet. "I know he is! I brought him here!" Zidane answered. "You what!?" Vivi questioned. Everyone looked at Zidane in confusion. "Oh man... Look guys, this is almost gonna be impossible to explain. But he isn't what your should be worrying about right now! Me and him know exactly what's going on, and you just need to trust me." He convinced them. "Have you forgotten all the horrible things we experienced because of him!?" yelled Steiner. "And did you also forget what he did to my friends!?" added Vivi, angrily. Kuja descended to the ground. "I'd listen to Zidane if I were you. He speaks the truth! I am not your enemy this time!" He said. "Liar!" Freya cursed. "You're a horrible man! Just seeing you makes me sick!" she added. "Dammit, Freya! Let me explain!" urged Zidane, "We don't have much time!" he added. The party looked confused. "What do you mean?" asked Beatrix. "I no understand." Said Quina. "Ok, I tell you the whole story. I didn't want to, but I have no choice" Said Zidane. "When I woke up inside the Iifa Tree, I made my way to Madain Sari only to find that all of Eiko's moogle's had perished in an earthquake. Only Chimomo was left. We were working on getting back here, but...." he stuttered. "But what!?" asked Garnet. "But, he was attacked and killed by someone. A person.... sort of." Zidane explained. "But you said a Blazer Beetle killed Chimomo!?" Eiko reminded him. Zidane sighed, "I know I did. I didn't want to tell you the truth because it was too........ too horrible..." he admitted.

"Zidane. Who killed that moogle?" asked Freya. He hesitated for a moment. "Listen. From here on the story gets.... weird. I wouldn't have believed it if I wasn't there." He said. "It was 'him' wasn't it?" Said Amarant. "The guy you told me about at Daggers birthday party." He added. Zidane nodded. "You mean he told you about this?" asked Freya. Amarant nodded. "The guy he's referring to, apparently, isn't a 'guy'. What I mean is; he isn't human." He said. The party looked at each other with raised eye brows. "You mean.... an alien?" asked a doubtful Steiner. "Why is that so hard to believe?" asked Mikoto. "Me, Zidane, Kuja and the genomes are from a foreign world as well." She explained. "I guess." Said Beatrix.

"His name is Ares. He came here on a meteorite not too long ago. The bad thing is that he knows what we know. He scanned all our brain waves and made copies of them for himself. He can use any one of the battle techniques we know." Zidane explained, "I fought him at the Outer Continents Qu's Marsh a while ago. He was super strong and he flattened me, rolled me up and tossed me aside! But, he decided to spare my life, not out of mercy, but out of the enjoyment of winning, so much so that he arranged to do it again, at Conde Petie." He added. "He sound bad! What happen then?" asked Quina. "Well, after I recovered, I met him there and brawled with him until he ran away and tried to get to this continent. I tried to stop him in the boat me and Chimomo had been working on. Eventually, a tidal wave swallowed us both up and I woke up on the Mist Continent. Ares was there with me. After a long chase and a battle with an Ifrit he summoned, I finally beat him in Cleyra's Trunk. I thought he was gone forever..... But he came back and attacked me after the Festival of the Hunt, that's when Kuja showed up to help me. But even as we speak, Ares is on his way here on foot! That's why we came here; to warn everyone and form a team to thwart him!" Zidane explained, to which Kuja nodded in agreement. The crowd was silent after hearing this unworldly tale, so were Zidane's friends.

Then, the sound of clapping could be heard from behind them. The genome brothers turned around to see Harold approaching them, clapping his hands. "Wow.... Wow! That was a truly interesting story. Just let me recap: an evil alien from outer space that is a merciless killer was beaten by you at Cleyra, but survived, and is now on his way here to... attack us, as you put it." He said. "Well...... Yeah." Zidane answered. "That's why have to act quickly! He could get here any minute!" he added. Then, Harold started laughing, first quietly, then louder. "What could be so funny at a time like this!?" questioned Kuja. "You expect us to believe that!? I've never heard more nonsense in my life!" laughed Harold. Zidane sighed, "Well, that's just what I'd expect from someone like you." He said, and then he turned to his friends. "Guys, c'mon, if we work together, we can beat him for sure! If we can defeat the Eternal Darkness, we can beat an extraterrestrial psycho!" he explained. They all looked at each other, puzzled. Harold stepped forward, "Oh come on! You can't possibly believe this mumbo-jumbo he's coming out with! He is working with the enemy for goodness sake! And he's also works from a band of thieves, perfectly disguised as a theatre troupe! Have thought that he might be using his skills to trick you all? What if he's been doing it all along?" he claimed. Everyone started to murmur to each other. "How can you say that!? I'd never do something as degrading as deceiving my closest friends! True, I am a part of Tantalus, but we're all friends as well!" Zidane yelled. Amarant stepped forward, "Zidane. Do you have any form of proof to back up your claim?" he asked. "Well..... No. I can't prove it with anything, but you have to trust me on this. Ares is real." He answered.

"How can we know if you can't prove it? I think you are lying!" Harold stated. "Shut up Harold! Even if you do this I'm lying, you're a King! As the ruler of this country, you should take every precaution for the safety of your people! You' can't let go of what I just said without at least checking it out first!" Zidane argued. "I don't have time to look into ridiculous ghost stories!" Harold ranted back before turning to everyone else. "Can't you see that he's false!? Don't listen to him! He's trying to trick you all! Working with Gaia's greatest nightmare and being a professional deceiver. Put to and to together and you get this pathetic excuse for a hero!" said Harold. Zidane gasped in anger. "Could.... Could he have been tricking us all along? Even since I first met him?" Freya pondered. "I-I never thought of anything like that." Said Vivi, "But... Harold made it sound believable." He added. Zidane and Kuja stood with open mouths at the current events. "......... I can't believe what I'm hearing...... You'd rather listen to someone you've known for a few months that one of your true friends?" Zidane asked. "True friends!? Bah! Don't talk rubbish! You've never cared for them! You're just using them to achieve you and your despicable brother's goal!" Harold shouted. "Harold, shut up! How dare you say such things! We've done so much together without you and we managed perfectly. If it wasn't for us, everyone here would be dead right now! You are only interested in tricking them because they're too stupid and naive to know any better!!!" shouted Zidane, blinded by rage. Then, everyone gasped. All of Zidane's friend's faces held a look of shock over how he described them. "...... I'm not stupid........" said a tearful Eiko. Zidane suddenly realised what he said. "Oh c'mon guys. You know I didn't mean..... _that_." He said, gently. "Then.... why would you say that, Zidane?" asked an upset Vivi. The young genome had nothing to say, unable to find the right words.

They all started to move towards Harold. "See? See!? I knew he was against us. All it takes to get the truth out is a little push, hehe." Chuckled Harold. Guys! No, wait! C'mon, you know I didn't mean it. Freya, Freya! Y-You believe me, don't you?" he asked, to which Freya slowly shook her head. "Steiner? What about you? Don't you believe me?" he asked in desperation. The armoured knight merely turned his back on the genome. "Dagger.... what about you? You trust me, right?" he asked. There was no answer. ".......... R-Right?" he repeated, in worry. Garnet looked at Harold who stared back with a serious face. "Zidane...." she said. The genome listened in, anxious for her reply. "........ I......... I don't want you to call me Dagger anymore...." she answered. Zidane felt as though his heart had been ripped for his chest, and a tear appeared in his eye. "Y-You don't mean that..." he pleaded. Everyone lowered their heads. "... Go home...." said Garnet. "... I don't want to know you anymore.... I don't believe what you've told us today, and I wouldn't be able to help if I did. Just go...... Okay? I don't ever want to see you or Kuja again. Don't show your faces in the public, anymore...." she explained, tearfully. A heartbroken Zidane lowered his head to hide the tears that were pouring down his face. He then turned and slowly walked away. Kuja followed.

"Zidane wait!" a voice called to him. Zidane turned round and saw Quina approaching him. "Q-Quina?" he said, amazed at what was happening. "I no listen to Harold. I believe you. I want go with you, help you beat bad man." s/he said. Kuja cracked a small smile. "R-Really!? Thank you, Quina! Thank you!" Said Zidane, hugging the genderless Qu. "Thank you. Your help is welcome." Said Kuja. "Hold your horses. I'm coming too." Said Amarant from behind them. "What!? You can't be serious!" said Harold. "Mind you own, Mayer! Mind your own!" the red-headed mercenary threatened with his knuckle blades. "A-Amarant!? H-How come?" asked a confused yet slightly relieved Zidane. "Some parts of your story are believable. To me at least. I'll go with you on the chance that you could be right." Amarant answered. Zidane smiled and nodded, "Thanks man..." he said. Kuja approached the monk, "A-Amarant..... Erm..." he stuttered, but was silenced by Amarant. "Don't say anything Kuja. I already know. If you and Zidane are telling the truth, we're cool." He said. Kuja nodded. Then, the four of them stared making their way through the crowd, out of Alexandria. "Fools! Don't say I didn't warn you!" Harold shouted after them.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

He's here!

Zidane, still hurting from his friend's beliefs, left Alexandria and sat on a rock near the cliff edge. Kuja, Amarant and Quina followed and sat with him. ".... I don't know what to say Zidane...." Amarant admitted. "Then don't say anything....." the genome replied. Then, Quina approached Zidane and patted him on the back, reassuring his/her friend of his/her trust. Zidane managed to form a smile on his face, but he didn't maintain it for long, and he soon bowed his head out of depression. There was a moment of silence. Eventually, Kuja stepped up and broke the period of calmness. "Look, we can't waste any time. It'll take all four of us in perfect fighting condition if we're going to have a chance of winning." He explained. "Give him a moment, for pity's sake!" Amarant insisted. Zidane suddenly stood up straight. "No. He's right, Amarant. We need to be as ready as we can possibly be, otherwise, we'll have no chance. Ares is the most powerful enemy I've ever come across." He said. "This Ares you've said so much about... Is he really that strong?" asked the mercenary. "Yes, he's that strong! If we don't have a half descent plan, he'll give us a fate worse than death!" Zidane urged. "I ready to do my part!" Quina stated. "Good! That's what I like to hear!" Zidane answered.

Then, the young genome thought for a moment. "Hey guys, just out of curiosity, how come you believe me when everyone else didn't?" he asked. "I've learned in life that no matter how calm things look, there's always something that is a danger. I'm taking every precaution to keep things the way they are, even if it does sound a little farfetched. Besides, I can never run away from a potential fight." Amarant explained. "Even though I now master at gourmand, I still need much learning. Me also want protect friends, maybe this Ares taste good!" said Quina. "I see..... Well, thanks you guys. We're gonna need all the help we can get." Said Zidane. Suddenly, Kuja drew their attention, "Look! There he is!" he yelled. The genome pointed into the sky at a silhouette in the clouds that was a few miles away. The figure was descending to the ground. "How do you know it's him, Kuja?" asked Zidane. "I can tell. Trust me." He answered. As it got closer, it became clear that it was indeed Ares, flying towards the Alexandrian Kingdom. "What!? But he looks just like a person." Amarant commented. "Oh yeah, I forgot that part; when he arrived here, he imitated this guys body to look like him. The guy is dead now, but Ares did it to blend in to the crowd. He's wearing a black, zip-up, sleeveless body warmer, and a black collared shirt with large white cheques, blue jeans and tatty white running shoes. He's got black hair, brown eyes and a demonic look on his face." Zidane described.

Ares flew over their heads, apparently not seeing them and towards the western part of Alexandria. "He's going that way!" said Zidane. "Clever. Everyone is in the centre of the kingdom, so he's planning a sneak attack by landing in the back streets that will be deserted." Said Amarant. "There isn't a moment to lose! We must intercept him before he gets to the place where the ceremony is being held!" Kuja urged. "Look! He landing!" Quina pointed out. "C'mon! Quick! Before it's too late!" Zidane ordered as he headed for the front gate. Kuja, Amarant and Quina followed him.

The party of four made their way round the inner wall of Alexandria, over to Ares' point of impact. "So Amarant? Do you fully believe me now?" asked Zidane. "Mostly. I'll never know for sure until we engage him in battle." He answered. "I fully believe you, Zidane." Quina commented. "Thanks, Quina. But, c'mon, you'd believe me if I told you mud tasted like chocolate." Said Zidane. "Mud no taste like chocolate!" Quina stated. "Oh, so you won't _always_ believe me." Said Zidane. "No, I mean, it no taste like that, right? You joking? Or you tell truth? I eat mud and find out!" Quina answered. "Ugh... Later, Quina. Kinda got an alien super-being to fight here!" the genome explained. "C'mon! Don't fall behind!" said Kuja, who was a few meters ahead of them. "Hurry up! I think he's just ahead!" he added. "How can you tell?" asked Amarant. "I can smell him." The genome answered. "That's the other thing about Ares. If you smell his stench, even once, it'll stick in your mind." Explained Zidane. "Anyway, let's go!" he continued and lead the group further west of Alexandria.

Suddenly, they arrived at a small open area in the deserted back street. In the centre, the ground was cracked and burnt a charcoal black colour. "This must be where he landed. Look at that!" Zidane claimed. Kuja approached the small crater and touched it with his bare hand. "It's still hot. That means he's only just got here. He can't be far away." He said. "I say we split up and search round this area for him." Said Amarant. "No! Bad idea!" Zidane responded, "We'll be much safer as a group. The chances are that he's gotten stronger on his journey here, and I only just managed to beat him when I was on my own." He added. "How could he have grown stronger?" asked Amarant. "Well, it sounds crazy, but he absorbs other life forms and uses their power to boost his strength, speed, defence, everything." Zidane explained. "How he do that?" Quina questioned. "He does this really weird and gross thing. It's hard to explain, but I'll give it a try. He turns his fingers into this liquidy-like stuff and they turn into tentacle-like things that engulf you and suck you up. It makes more sense if you see it happen. So let's hope that subject continues to confuse you." Said Zidane. Kuja stepped forwards, "I must say that his hands are unique weapons in themselves. They are made of a solidified gel-like substance that can liquefy and form solid metal shapes, like knives and stabbing weapons. Not only that, he can cast certain types of magic that are from foreign worlds. It's quite remarkable really." He said. "You admire this maniac?" Amarant asked. "Not for what he does; for what he is. It's unlike anything I, or anyone, has ever seen! But that amazing method of combat is put to waste by his psychotic mind." Kuja answered. "You're one to talk." Amarant spited. Kuja answered him with a glare. "Whoa, whoa, whoa guys! Let's not forget what's at stake here. That's all behind us. At least for now, okay?" Zidane interrupted. Kuja and Amarant nodded in agreement.

"I hear something." Quina informed them, looking down a dark alley way that lead to another sunlit area. "You do? What do you hear?" Zidane asked. "I hear faint cheers. But me also hear breaking glass." The Qu answered. "Keep on your toes! That might be him!" Zidane ordered. They armed themselves and crept forward down the sheltered, outdoor corridor. They moved in a straight line, lead by Zidane, followed by Quina, Kuja then Amarant. Another glass-smashing noise was heard from round the corner. Zidane gulped as he continued forward. Then, from around the corner appeared a shadow. All four of them stopped dead as the shadow got larger; indicating that whatever, or whoever, was casting the shadow was getting closer. Zidane turned and nodded to his companions as he gripped his daggers firmly. Quina held his/her fork at the ready while Amarant raised his claws. Sweat was pouring down all of their faces with the tension as the shadow now made it clear that its caster was less than arms length away.

Then, suddenly, the tension was suddenly broken when a small kitten appeared from the other side of the corridor. Its shadow was the one they could see. All four of them relaxed, "It's alright guys. It ain't him." Said Zidane. "It's just a kitten." Stated Amarant. The kitten purred lightly as it looked up at Zidane with puppy dog eyes. The genome looked down to see that the fuzzy little house pet was limping due to an injured leg. "This little guy's hurt himself. Kuja, you know white magic don't you?" he asked. "Yeah, hang on." Said Kuja as he walked over to the small animal. As he was preparing a healing spell, however, their hearts jumped as a loud clank was heard and the silhouette of a man appeared on the upper edge of the corner ahead of them. The kitten looked back and squealed in terror and helplessly limped as fast as it could towards Zidane. "Here kitty, kitty!" the man said with a sinister voice as he rose his hand at the poor animal. His finger than began to extend and became very flexible. The kitten fell over for the sheer pain of its wounded leg. The extended finger shot out towards the defenceless kitten and opened up, ready to engulf the terrified mammal. "No!" Kuja cried out as he launched an impact wave at the evil figure, which hit directly. "Ooft!" the man coughed as he was struck by the wave. Zidane then sliced the tentacle into pieces, thus saving the kitten. "What in the name of- Gah!" the man shouted before Kuja blasted him away with a fire spell.

The four warriors rushed into the open street to confront the evil man. "Who is this guy!?" Amarant yelled. "Oh c'mon. Do you really need to ask?" Zidane replied. The man got up off the ground and revealed himself as Ares. "I knew it was you! I can't believe it: preying on helpless animals! Don't you have one once of decency in you!? If we hadn't stepped in, you would've absorbed that kitten, and not give it a second thought! You detestable fiend!" Zidane shouted. "Well, well, well. I must say, Tribal, I'm impressed! I didn't think you'd be able to get out of that paralysis I left you, and girly-boy here, in, never mind beat me here!" said Ares. "I'm capable of more than you think!" the genome replied. "Hardly. Welcome back to you, Kuja. Still as camp as ever I see." Ares insulted. "I'll make you eat those words, Ares!" Kuja retaliated. Ares laughed. "Whatever. And who do we have here? Amarant Coral and Quina Quen. What a line up! You see how amazing I am!? It's obvious that no more of your little band of retards believed you when you blurted out my existence. No?" the alien claimed. "Grrr!" Zidane cursed. "Well, I gotta be honest: I wouldn't have believed it either. But I _am_ me! So I guess I do believe it! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!" Ares cackled insanely. "Is this the guy you were telling us about?" asked Amarant. "Yes. I know he seems dumb, but he's smarter that you think. He's really strong too! It'll take all four of us to tackle him!" Zidane answered. Ares suddenly calmed down. "You guys know how to let me have a good laugh! And now prepare to die!" he yelled as he attacked them with bolts of electricity that shocked them all.

"YYEEOOWW!!!!!!" Quina yelled. As s/he got his/her bearings, Ares appeared in front of him/her and landed a hard punch in the Qu's face, hurling him/her a few meters away. "Quina!" Zidane called. "Heads up, bitch!" Ares yelled as he leaped towards the genome. However, Amarant rose up and used No Mercy which knocked Ares to the floor. "Thanks, Amarant." Said Zidane. "Don't mention it!" the mercenary replied. However, Ares suddenly recovered, seemingly unharmed by Amarants counter attack. "Right back at you, Scarlet hair!" he said before he used No Mercy against its original master. Amarant was knocked back a few feet and was floored. "What the-! He used _my_ attack!" he stated, confused and flabbergasted. "I told you, he can use any of our techniques against us!" Zidane reminded him. The red headed bounty hunter rose to feet and began to chuckle. "What so funny!?" Zidane yelled. "Nothing, I was just thinking; it takes a lot of power to save the world. But it takes more than just power to overcome yourself..... I guess we'll have to find out the secret by ourselves if we're gonna beat him. What we're fighting here is all of Gaia's greatest hero's _and_ its nightmare wrapped in one. Can you imagine what such power is capable of?" Said Amarant, calmly. Zidane thought for a second. "I don't know, and I never want to know! Let's get rid of him before he starts to think like you!" he said.

Kuja hovered in the air throw all kinds of magic spells at Ares. "Flare!" he chanted. An incredible magic force struck Ares from beneath and although dealt damage, it failed to truly harm him. "Hail has hit me harder than that!!!" Ares insulted. "Holy!" Kuja called. Bolts of white magic collided with the evil alien, but still, it didn't cause any real damage. "Man, Kuja! You suck!!!" Ares yelled aloud. "1,000 Needles!" Quina chanted as hundreds of needles were fired at Ares, but it failed to do any serious damage at all. "You'll have to do better than that, round-boy! Try this! 1,000,000 Needles!!!" the alien shouted. Thousands of needles stabbed Quina all at once, dealing almost fatal damage. Quina fell to his/her knees and could barely stand. "Take this, you freak!" Zidane cried out as he charged and slashed at Ares with his swallow blade, but it wasn't as effective as previous encounters. "Pathetic!" Ares commented, seemingly unaffected. "Huh!? But that usually hurts you! Lots!" Zidane panicked. "Not anymore, Tribal! You'll have to think of something else!" Ares said before launching his fist into Zidane stomach, throwing him into the air and winding him. "Try this on for size!" Amarant yelled. He leaped towards Ares and slashed him across the belly, but the wounds healed almost instantly. "What in the name of-!" Amarant said with amazed, yet worried eyes. "Geez! If that's your boundary, this is gonna be a looonnnngggg fight." Said Ares. The alien kneed Amarant in the stomach then elbowed him in the face, sending him a few feet away from him.

"Blizzaja!" chanted Kuja. "Limit Glove!" screamed a weakened Quina. The two spells made impact on Ares simultaneously. The alien was floored and damaged. "Ugh! Now I gotta admit. That %*$&ing hurt!" he said. Ares jumped to his feet and faced the two mages. "Now hold still. You're about to feel a slight pinch....... in the brain! Muhahahaha!" he cackled before firing two darts of ice from his hands, both of which directly hit Kuja and Quina between the eyes, defeating them both "Hakuna Matata, bitches!" Ares yelled. The four warriors climbed to their feet and glared at their superior opponent. "What happened? I don't remember him being anywhere near as strong as this a day ago! He must have taken more innocent lives on the way here. That'll be why he was so late!" Zidane pondered. "What's the matter, dudes? Worn out already!? I guess it's fair to say to say that you're no match for my power." Said Ares. "It's not your power! You stole it by absorbing people who did nothing to you!" yelled Kuja. "That's rich coming from you! Besides, they're a part of greatness now. I've given them all a purpose." The alien answered. "Who's next then!?" he continued.

"What are we going to do now, guys?" asked Amarant. "He too strong! We no can beat him!" Quina commented. "I'm lost for idea's myself!" said Kuja. Zidane pondered his thoughts for ideas. "Right now, I can only think of one way we can have a better chance of winning, it's a long shot though." He said. "Tell us, Zidane. At this point we need to consider anything that could possibly aid us." Kuja explained. Zidane hesitated for a few seconds. "The only idea I have is that we go back to the others and try and persuade them again!" he said. "I don't know if that's a good idea, Zidane. It could actually do more harm than good." Said Amarant. "Didn't Kuja just say that we should try everything we can think of? I don't see you guys with any suggestions." He responded. "What are you turds whispering about!? It doesn't matter what you think of, you'll never be able to kill me!" Ares said from behind them. "He certainly isn't lacking in confidence." Said Kuja. "He's got a point though; we can barely lay a scratch on him! I say we try Zidane's idea." Amarant stated. "How we do that?" asked Quina. Zidane sighed, "Now that's the million gil question, ain't it....." said Zidane.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Friend's or Foe's

Zidane, Amarant, Kuja and Quina weakly stood before their towering adversary. The mighty Ares approached them ever so slowly. "What now, people? Whatever happens, make it quick; I'm hungry." Said the alien. Sweat dripped down from Zidane's chin, his face reflected the light from all the moisture. As was with the other three freedom fighters. "You say we go back and get help, Zidane. How are we gonna do that?" asked Amarant. "I don't know." He replied. "But it's the only chance we have. We're all exhausted and he looks like he's just had Full-Life casted on him. And with all the leaders of the nations nearby... we're a bit stuck." He added. They all tensed up with every step Ares took. His hand morphed into claws as he closed in on them.

"Well, it's half of a good plan Zidane." Said Kuja. "What's the other half?" asked his brother. "You go back; the three of us stay here and hold him." Kuja quickly replied. Zidane was initially shaken back. "How can I go back! You saw what happened last time!" he explained. "But Zidane, you've been fighting a lot longer than we have. You're more worn down. The Qu, the red head and I are fresher, have more energy and stand a better chance than you staying behind." Said Kuja. "He's right Zidane; you've been fighting this guy before any of the world knew he even existed. We know we can't stop him but we can stall him for longer if you go." Amarant agreed. Quina simply nodded. "But... what am I gonna tell them? Dagger basically banished me from all four nations." Said Zidane. "Ugh! I'm so hungry! I'm not waiting anymore!" Ares declared and charged at them.

"Go! Zidane, Go!" Amarant cried after shoving him behind them. The three warriors blocked Ares' charge as he slammed into them. Slowly, he was moving them backwards, but they were putting up a good fight in the struggle. "Z...Zidane!" Kuja uttered. "You... have to... go back to... the others... quickly! Before...i-it's... too late!" he continued. "We... no can... hold him... forever!" Quina warned. "But guys!" the young genome said. "GO!" the three of them said in unison. This made Zidane turn tail and flee. He rushed down the street, tears pouring from his eyes, as he was unable to help his comrades. He sprinted between buildings, not really knowing where he was going. His moves were so frantic that he could feel his bones twist and turn in his body as he went round corners. Back at the battle scene, Ares noticed that Zidane had fled into the town. "The worst move you could have made. You've just lost your best man, haha!" he laughed. Out of rage, Kuja, Amarant and Quina forced themselves forward and sent Ares sliding backwards on his left foot. When he stopped, he kept his balance and put his other foot on the floor. The smell of burning could be picked up from his left shoe. The alien scuffed the dirt off his jeans and sleeveless jacket. "Not bad, but your way out of your league here." He said. The trio stood strong, ready for whatever he'll throw at them.

After what seemed like hours of running round the streets of Alexandria, Zidane came across one of the rivers that flowed through the kingdom. "Across here is... I'm almost there!" he said, relieved and somewhat frightened. He looked from side to side thoroughly. "No time to find a bridge. I guess I'll just have to..." he said before diving in the water, not wasting a second of his precious time. The genome attacked the river violently to hastily reach the other side. He climbed up the side of the ledge and carried on rushing to the town centre.

Meanwhile, the large crowds huddled near the platform that the world's hero's and leaders stood upon. Regent Cid, Harold Mayer and the Burmecian King stood in a triangle in the centre of the stage. Behind Cid were Minister Artainia, Queen Hilda and Eiko. Puck, Freya and her apprentices stood a few paces behind her king. Garnet, Vivi, his sons, Mikoto, Steiner and Beatrix stood behind Harold. "Hey Dagger, are you okay about today?" asked Vivi. "Y-Yes, I'll be alright. Thanks Vivi." She answered, softly. Vivi turned his head towards the mountains beyond the kingdom, pondering about Zidane's claims.

"As a memorial of peace from Burmecia, and on the behalf of Cleyra, we offer these gifts for the kingdoms of Alexandria and Lindblum. We hope you accept them so that we may build a better world for everyone: the men, the women and, most important of all, the next generation." The King of Burmecia announced to the world. When he finished, two Burmecians stepped forward and opened a box that each of them possessed. Inside were gifts that the Burmecians themselves had manufactured for their fellow kingdoms. Cid and Harold stepped forward and claimed the gifts. Cid notice Harold tut and their tacky appearances, and scowled at him. "I, Cid Fabool IX, representing the regency of Lindblum, gladly accept this gift of peace from you." He announced. The whole of Alexandria roared with cheers from citizens from around the world. The Regent of Lindblum turned to look at his family and found Eiko jumping up and down with joy and Hilda crying with happiness. He smiled back at them. Harold backed up to Garnet. "Can't they even give us a decent peace offering? The nerve!" he whispered. "Hey, it might not be much to look at, but its meaning is the most important thing of all." She answered. Harold groaned. When the crowd had finally settled down, Harold stepped up and before he could make his announcement, was interrupted from a voice in the audience.

"Stop!" yelled the voice. Everyone looked in its direction of origin. The crowd parted, revealing it as Zidane. Harold glared at him with hate. Zidane rushed up the stairs to the stage, easily getting past the guards, whose commanders were shouting: "Seize him!" The crowds yelled for the genomes apprehension. "Get the crowds out of here! Ares is on his way!" he urged. "You're not still going on about that are you"? Said one of the Burmecians. "How dare you show your face around here, you despicable ape!" Harold cursed the genome. "Was the first banishment not enough for you!" He added. "Halt scoundrel!" Steiner ordered. "I can't do that rusty!" Zidane contradicted. "I've come here because we've been overwhelmed. All four of us!" he continued. As Zidane made his way to the top of the platform, Garnet turned away from him, still upset.

"So you think we're going to help you, do you?" asked Harold. "No. But I'm still gonna try." Zidane snapped back. "Ares has the advantage over Kuja, Amarant and Quina. I'm begging you... all of you. Please, you must help!" he pleaded. The crowd was yelling and shouting verbal insults at Zidane and chanting for his arrest. "He's at it again. I bet he took Amarant and the Qu away and murdered them." Harold claimed. "Why won't you believe me! I know it's hard to accept what were dealing with and that Kuja is on our side now, but it's all the truth, I swear!" Zidane declared to all of them. "Don't you see? It's Harold! It's because of him that you're all doubtful. He's poisoned you against me!" he added, almost in tears. The rest of the party looked at him with mixed expressions. Some of disbelief and others of uneasiness. The crown was still going wild, until they were silenced by unexpected words. "I say we help him!" a voice declared. Zidane looked up in shock to see that Regent Cid has stepped forward and made his decision. "Yeah!" yelled Baku as Tantalus stood their ground. Eiko and Hilda were still unsure.

"So, Cid, you wish to back a traitor?" said Harold. Baku walked up to the Alexandrian king. "You don't know that. Zidane has NEVER lied to me! He's crazy, he's a fool, but he's not a liar!" he stated. "And I agree with his earlier statement. Even if he IS making it up, we can't just let his claim go without trying to see this Ares for ourselves. I think he's telling the truth. Not just because I know him and I raised him since he was a boy, but he's so serious that he's crying over it." Baku added. Blank, Marcus and Cinna also stepped forward. "We're siding with Zidane. If he was trying to do what you say he is, Harold, he'd have to think up a better story than what he's told us." Said Blank. Zidane couldn't believe it, neither could everyone else. "Guys... Y-You mean it?" the genome asked. "Of course we do, brother. We'll take out chances. Tantalus rule number one, remember? Rule number one: never leave a fellow Tantalus member behind." Marcus answered. An argument ensued between Harold and Cid, the crowd was murmuring among themselves about the current turn of events.

"_This is getting us nowhere!"_ Zidane thought. As the clash continued, Zidane was in deep panic to get people on his side, thus, he interrupted. "Have a look around you!" the genome butted in. The argument stopped. "Notice anything missing?" Zidane continued. There was dead silence. "The Cleyrans are not here and no one has heard a word out of them for days, have they? They haven't cut themselves off from reality again and this ceremony is to bring peace to the world, so, you would think that they wouldn't be late." He told them. "What are you saying?" asked Harold. "The Cleyrans are all dead!" Zidane shouted. There were gasps of horror coming from the crowd. Zidane turned to face the people of the world while the world leaders were left in silence. "That's why they're not here! That's why they haven't appeared to anyone for days. Ares, who I've been telling you all about, has killed them all! It's the same with the dwarves of Conde Petie on the Outer Continent, and very recently, Sir Fratley has fallen victim to this fiend!" He yelled out for the world to hear, but before he could continue, Freya interrupted. "That's a lie!" she denied. "Don't ever say anything like that, Zidane, don't even THINK it! Sir Iron Tail Fratley is undefeatable!" she continued. "But I'm not making it up Freya, I saw Ares swallow him up with my own eyes!" said Zidane, trying to convince her. "Shut up! Shut-up! Stop saying that! You're lying!" The dragoon snapped. "Fratley is unbeatable! How dare you claim him to be deceased!" she continued.

"Freya! Listen to me! I know it's near impossible to accept, I wouldn't have believed it if I wasn't there but I was! The 2 of us teamed up against Ares when he attacked us at the Festival of the Hunt. We both fought with all we had, but he was too much. Fratley gave it everything he had, but Ares knows our weak points and he out smarted Fratley and absorbed him. I'm sorry... I tried to save him, but I was no match for Ares on my own. There was nothing I could do..." Zidane explained. Everything was quite. Freya tightened her fists. "If what you tell me is true... why couldn't you save him... why can't you bring him back?" she said, slowly and tearfully. Zidane was speechless. "Say something, Zidane!" she ordered. "I-I'm sorry..." he uttered. "You're sorry? You're sorry! Sorry won't bring Fratley back will it! We were married! I'm carrying his child!" she revealed in her sorrow. Everyone gasped. There was a deafening pause for about 30 seconds. "You still use this imaginary 'Ares' character to cover up your own sins?" said Harold to Zidane. The genome looked up at him with hateful eyes. "What are you implying! That _I_ killed Sir Fratley!" he shouted. "What other explanation is there? No one has seen this man you speak of and with all these terrible things he's done, no one has noticed except you. You came back nearly a week ago now and you've only just told us these things. You had plenty of time to make this up!" Harold claimed. Not to mention the fact that you've sided with Kuja and Amarant and Quina have disappeared. How is that not evidence enough!" he continued before turning his attention to the others. "Don't be fooled by his cotton bull story! This man is a murderer of the Cleyran people, the dwarves and three of the world's greatest hero's!" the Alexandria king continued.

Stricken with hate for Harold, Zidane approached him and knocked him to the ground with a punch to the face in front of everyone. The genome then drew one of is daggers and threatened Harold with it. "Don't test me Harold! You haven't experienced what I have, thus, you have no idea what you're talking about! To think you have the nerve to blame these atrocities on me! How DARE you, you waste of life!" Zidane screamed, blinded by rage and frustration. Suddenly, Zidane suffered a blow to the ribs, sending him crashing to the top of the steps. After his vision became clear again, he looked up to see that it was Steiner who attacked him and was helping Harold to his feet. "Steiner... What are you doing!" Zidane questioned as he climbed to his feet. The knight drew his sword. "Be quiet! You attempted to assassinate a member of royalty! That's treason!" Steiner stated. "I wasn't going to kill him! That was the only way I can think to get through to him!" the genome said, defending himself. "You see? Your guilt has been proven, now. You can't deny the fact that you intended to murder me. Ambassadors of the world have witnessed this with their own eyes! You will be executed for this!" stated Harold! The crowd started to chant for Zidane's execution. The genome looked around to see even his old friends agreeing with Harold's decision. Even Tantalus had turned against him now.

"No! Wait! Hear me out!" Zidane begged. "You have spoken enough, monkey! You've finally revealed your true colours! I always knew you were false." Said Harold spitefully. "So that means... You've been our enemy since day 1!" said Eiko. "I really looked up to you Zidane... I saw you as almost a father figure." Vivi admitted, angry and sad at the genome. Mikoto put her arm around him to comfort the black mage as he started to cry, she looked back at her brother with eyes that showed damage to her heart. "I can't believe it... The person we saw as a brother... Nothing but a filthy murderer..." said Blank, the other members of Tantalus nodded in agreement. Beatrix approached the still ever silent Garnet who still had her back to the commotion. "I'm sorry Your Majesty... Forgive us... We should have known about his real intentions..." said the female paladin. Garnet said nothing, but turned her loyal friend and shook her head, not even glancing at Zidane. The crowd continued to yell at the ally-less genome. "I've always had my doubts about you, Zidane! But I never thought you could sink THIS low!" said Steiner. "You're Majesty; allow me to deliver this cold blooded killer what he deserves!" He added, before Freya cut in front of him. "No. You stay out of this Steiner. Zidane has taken everything I cherish away from me! I will do what must be done... For Fratley's sake!" she said with tears pouring from her eyes as she readied her spear. "Zidane... We all trusted you with our lives... We've all lost something to you! For years, I've been under your spell! I'll make you pay for the suffering you've caused me!" she screamed.

"Freya, wait! No! You don't understand! No one here does! There is a great evil on the loose in the city and we're the only ones who can stop it! PLEEEAAAASE listen to me!" Zidane begged frantically, out of options and almost in tears. The whole world had been blinded by the wall of disbelief set up between them and Zidane by Harold Mayer. Freya charged at Zidane filled with anger and hate towards him. She screamed at the top of her lungs, exploding with rage and she was aiming it all at Zidane. "AAAAAHHHHH! I'LL KILL YOU!" she shrieked. "LISTEN TO MEEEEEEE!" Zidane continued to plea to the world, but his calls were ignored...


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Minute of Desperation

Freya charged at Zidane with all she had, tears poured from her face as she screeched at him with her spear in hand. Zidane jumped a couple of steps down behind him to avoid Freya's assault. The crowd chanted for Freya to kill Zidane, everyone from the humans to the Burmecians wanted the genome dead for falsely accused atrocities. "Freya, stop! You've got it wrong!" Zidane pleaded. "Shut up!" she snapped back as the dragoon took another swipe of her spear for him. Zidane barely managed to avoid the attack, but Freya countered by striking him with the blunt end of her Javelin. Zidane lost his footing due to the blow and fell all the way down the steps, straight to the bottom.

The genome soon came to, just in time to spot Freya coming towards him from above, ready to impale him, but he managed to get out of the way. "Finish him, Lady Freya!" called a voice from the crowd along with several other heckles of the same meaning. "Fight back!" the famed Burmecian female ordered. Zidane slowly stood up. "No, Freya. I will _not _fight you." He calmly answered, sheathing his blades as he spoke. Freya, still suffering the news of her dead husband, cried out loud as she dived toward Zidane, who ducked her attack. She quickly turned around when she landed and faced the young genome. "For years, I saw you as one of my closest friends. I TRUSTED you, Zidane! But now I see the truth. I know now what you _really_ are!" she said. "Freya! You know me! You know I could never do such a thing! You of all people should believe me! Remember all the times we've shared!" Zidane responded. As he was speaking, a civilian form the angry crowd crept up behind Zidane and smashed a bottle on his head. The framed hero yelped in pain and lowered his head as it started to bleed. Freya took her chance and stabbed Zidane with her spear.

Zidane shouted in agony as the dragon knight buried her steel into his chest. "How does it feel, Zidane? To know the pain that you have caused so many?" she said with a sinisterly soft voice. At the top of the platform, everyone except Garnet, Eiko, Vivi, Mikoto, Hilda, Cid, Beatrix and Tantalus mimicked the crowd in chanting for Zidane's demise. "Now Freya! Kill him now!" Harold yelled. Hearing the Alexandrian king's command, Freya slowly reached back and grabbed the blunt end of her spear, preparing to shove the weapon straight through Zidane's body. Anticipating this, Zidane grabbed his end of the javelin and kicked Freya and the stomach, forcing her down onto one knee. Then, with a scream of pain, Zidane pulled the spear from his chest and leaped back away from the dragoon. He kept pressure on the bloody wound with his left hand; his tail helped him to keep his balance. He was losing blood, and fast. He soon realised this when his vision kept blurring.

The crowd got even louder as Freya climbed to her feet and prepared yet another attack. Zidane, realising he was completely out matched turned tail and fled, shoving his way through the crowd of people and heading for the back streets. "You coward!" Freya shouted before giving chase. Alexandrian soldiers managed to keep the crowd from following as well. "I'm going to follow them. I need proof of Zidane's death with my own eyes!" said Steiner as he headed down the stairs into the crowd. "My liege, allow me to accompany him." Beatrix asked Harold. "Yes, go! Make sure that filthy ape is given a painful demise!" he responded before Beatrix followed Steiner. The rest of them stayed put. "Finally, he will get what he deserves." Harold stated. The others were still in awe. "... I... can't believe it..." said Eiko. Hilda put her arm round her adopted daughter as she burst into tears. "Hilda, my love, and Eiko. I'm so sorry, I should have known that... that-" Cid stuttered. Both Eiko and Hilda hugged the Regent lovingly. "Don't blame yourself darling, it wasn't your fault." Hilda said, comforting her husband. Mikoto held Vivi close to him as the black mage tried not to cry, but to little avail. "Vivi... Please don't cry. You're making me cry." She said tearfully. "I'm sorry, Mikoto... But... I loved him... like a father." He replied heart fully injured. The black mages identical children gathered round them, not saying a word, trying to comfort their parents. Garnet stood with her husband, barley managing to hold her tears back. "You see, Garnet? Now you know the truth about Zidane. But don't worry, I'll be with you all the way through this." Said Harold, softly to his wife. "Oh Harold." Said Garnet as she started to cry while she walked into Harold's arms and held onto him.

Meanwhile, Zidane ran as fast as he could through the streets of Alexandria. He had no clue what he was going to do or where he was going, but he knew that Freya was in hot pursuit and, unable to convince her that he is innocent, she means to kill him. "Ironic. To... meet my end at the hands of an old friend..." he said to himself as he started to slow down, seeing how hopeless his campaign is. When he finally stopped he dropped to his knees, having ran at least a mile away from the raging crowds. His vision was now a complete blur due to his sheer blood loss. His face had turned as pale as snow and he could feel his body struggling to stay alive. Not even his tail could keep his balance now and, thus, he fell, powerlessly, to the floor. His injury had worsened since he fled from the main streets. His shirt was stained red with his blood as was his left glove that hopelessly held the deep stab wound from Freya's spear. He was breathing slowly and his body ceased to move. He just lay there, in the middle of the street, unable to do anything else. His heart ached his whole body as he started to cry. Damaged by the fact his friends had wrongly accused him of murder. His whole world had turned against him. Zidane's short reign as a hero came crashing down due to a lie. Despite these facts, he could not help but still love Dagger. Tears ran down his face as he continued to wallow in his sorrow.

After a while of emotional suffering, Freya approached his near-lifeless body. She looked down at him and easily spotted that he was crying. She knelt down beside him, grabbed his chin and turned his head to face her. Zidane's vision was worse than before, the blur was now darker and his lips were cracked from the loss of moisture in his body. "So here you are. All your power has been stripped and you are now nothing more than a helpless infant, no one to grieve you, no one to care about you." She said, in that same sinisterly soft tone of voice as before. Zidane tried to speak, but was unable to simply due to lack of energy to even talk. Freya brought his face closer to hers. "I want you to look at me while you die... Maybe then you'll understand the pain you've caused me. Because of you, I must now raise a bastard child. Never have I hated someone this much before. And to think you used to be my friend. What a joke! You disgust me." She said again, quietly. She raised her spear and aimed it for between Zidane's legs. "First, I'll take away what you cherish most, Mr. Ladies man." She said. As she readied herself to castrate him, Zidane grunted and squealed in panic, pleading her to stop. His heart pounded within his chest and a rate so loud and fast, even Freya could hear it.

Then, suddenly, a magic bolt was fired, aimed at Freya. She immediately saw it and jumped out of the way. The bolt blew apart a stack of crates behind where Freya was kneeling. The dragon knight stood up and looking in the direction of the shot. She saw a figure appear from the shadows that stood over Zidane, who still lay on the ground, defencelessly. "No one kills Zidane while I'm around. Destiny has reserved that pleasure for me!" Ares stated, grinning at Freya. Zidane looked up to see his worst nightmare. His eyes widened with terror as he was unable to do anything at the foot of the real killer. "Who are you! How dare you interrupt!" scowled Freya, unaware of the man's identity. "Ah, Freya Crescent. What a pleasure." Said Ares. "I know so much about you, but have never had the honour of meeting you. Sorry about that, I had the wrong idea. I thought you were someone else." He continued. "You're excused. Just go away." Freya answered. "Oh now. I know you're in the middle of something, but please. Allow me to shake your hand. Then I'll leave you in peace. All I want is to mix pleasantries with you." Ares reacted. Zidane tried to warn her but was still too weak to talk. Desperate to get him out of the way, Freya put her hand out for Ares to shake. When he grabbed her, he started to send an electrical discharge from his core into Freya's body, thus electrocuting her. Ares started to chuckle as he looked at Zidane. "Hee hehe hehe. Oh I got a live one here, AHAHAHAHAHA!" the monster laughed as he zapped Freya.

Zidane managed to utter the word "Freya..." before he collapsed again. Eventually, Ares let go of Freya, but as a result of the electricity, she was flung back by its power onto the floor which winded her. She climbed to her feet and stared at him with shock while she got her breath back. "Real charge, wasn't it! Hahaha!" he laughed, mocking her. "Grrr! Who do you think you are!" she yelled. "Oh yes, where are my manners! I am Ares. And it was me who absorbed your husband!" Ares answered. Freya froze on the spot, her mind was boggled. "What! B-But Ares isn't real! Zidane made him up to cover for his crimes! Didn't he?" she pondered. Ares turned to Zidane. "Is that what they all saw me as? What a bunch of idiots! This is laughable! You all thought I was a story he made up! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You stupid rat! Even _I_ know that Zidane is too pathetic to bring himself to kill anyone in cold blood. An action like that takes a sick minded freak... Like me!" Ares laughed mocking Freya. The dragon knight felt her stomach drop, finally realising that Zidane was telling the truth and was trying to save them the whole time. She dropped her javelin from a shaky hand as a gigantic wave of guilt struck her. She looked down at Zidane's lifeless body and she started to shed tears. _"Zidane... All this time you were telling the truth... And no one believed you... Not even us...I'm a fool! A stupid fool! It should be me dying on the ground. I'm so sorry... Not that it means anything now..."_ she thought.

Before Freya knew it, Ares was already chanting a spell. She didn't even try to move as she was far too guilt stricken. "So your just gonna sit there and let me kill you? Lame!" Ares said just before he casted Water on Freya. She got back up but still didn't put up a defence as Ares started to pummel her with his fists. After knocking her to the ground, Freya was laying very close to Zidane. "Freya..." the genome whispered. Freya opened her eyes to see Zidane looking at her. "Fight... him..." he painfully spoke. "Zidane... I... I..." The dragoon stuttered. "Forget about it..." he interrupted. "He'll kill us... both unless... unless you...resist..." he uttered. After a moment of thinking, Freya built up her confidence, stood up and readied her spear for battle. "Ah. That's more like it!" Ares remarked as he and Freya prepared to face off.


End file.
